headaches | Archview Physiotherapy | Massage | Dry Needling

Approximately 500 thousand people in Ireland suffer with Migraines. Nearly 60% of them will also suffer with tension or cervico-genic headaches. Our physiotherapy team at Archview Physiotherapy in Ranelagh, Dublin specialise in the treatment and management of headaches, and a large portion of those patients are migraines sufferers. Migraines are a medical condition that require medication in many cases. They can be very debilitating. By managing the headache associated with the migraine, your lifestyle and quality of life can be greatly improved.

Our physiotherapy team use a combination approach of physiotherapy, dry needling, myofascial massage, posture correction exercises and ergonomic correction. Dry needling is an evidenced based technique that will help reduce the painful trigger point knots that are causing your head pain. There are 20 muscles that can refer pain into the head. The diagram below shows the referral pattern of the SCM muscle. This is a commonly treated muscle for tension headaches. These headaches are seen a lot in migraine patients. Once these knots are released you should feel pain relief from your headache anywhere from between 1-24 hours after treatment. It has been proven to be an extremely effective technique to reduce and, in many cases, eliminate headaches.

These painful trigger point knots are one source of your pain. The joints in the neck are another source of pain. Poor posture that is associated with desk work and mobile phone usage is having a huge impact on the spine and the muscles around the head neck and shoulders. When the joints in the neck become poorly aligned or stiff, headaches can develop. When the muscles become overloaded they will knot, and referral pain from those knots may develop.

Your physiotherapists will identify all sources, treat and educate you on self management.

If you wish to learn more or talk to one of our physiotherapists to see if physiotherapy and dry needling can help you, book a consultation by calling 014913228 or emailing us on [email protected].

Dry needling and headaches

Headaches are the most common pain complaint in the world with 90% of people experiencing them at some stage in life. There are many different types of headache and if this is your first or worst headache you’ll need to visit your GP first to clear you for physiotherapy treatment.

Dry needling can be helpful for headaches which arise from trigger points in the muscles in the neck. Myofascial trigger points can occur when muscles are overworked or stressed.

Trigger points in neck muscles are common in those who have desk jobs, who spend a lot of time typing or using the mouse. Often new mums or those with young children who are repeatedly bending or lifting will also have problems with these muscles. Your physiotherapist will carry out a detailed assessment. This will include taking a thorough history of your condition and assessing the movement and strength of your neck and your posture. If trigger points are found to be contributing to your headaches then dry needling of relevant muscles such as trapezius, levator scapula and masseter will be recommended. Your physiotherapist will also address stiffness in your neck joints and your posture.

Dry needling along with other physiotherapy techniques can be used both to treat and to prevent headaches.

Migraines and Headaches

Physio for Headaches