Headache Pain

The most common type of vascular headache is migraine.  Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head, an upset stomach, and, at times, disturbed vision.  Two other recurring headache types are "cluster" headaches, which cause repeated episodes of intense pain, and headaches resulting from high blood pressure. Chronic tension headaches appear to involve the tightening or tensing of facial, jaw, scalp, and neck muscles.  Traction and inflammatory headaches are symptoms of other disorders, ranging from stroke to infection. Like other types of pain, headaches can serve as warning signals of a more serious disorder, including those related to meningitis as well as those resulting from diseases of the sinuses, spine, neck, ears, and teeth.

Considerations when treating chronic headaches:

• The head is heavy and must sit on the spine in a mechanically efficient way.
• The relationship of the head to the spine is altered in nearly all patients with chronic tension headaches and migraine headaches.
• This altered head position places excessive strain on the entire musculoskeletal system, especially the muscles and vessels of the head and neck.

The Feldenkrais Method assumes that:

• Interactions between different parts of the body can cause excessive strain and pain in places remote from the problem area.
• A rigid chest or immobile pelvis could be the underlying cause of headaches by contributing to an altered position of the head and neck.
• The system must be addressed as a whole to relieve headache pain.

Headache relief is the result of improving key relationships of the head and neck.  You will receive therapy that involves the whole body, and likely some Feldenkrais exercises. The goals are to alleviate your headache pain fast, and prevent the return of your headaches.  At the Feldenkrais Center, our approach to treating the cause of your headaches allows for a safe and effective recovery. Most headaches are gone within the first hour.