Chronic Headache Relief
Free Your Mind From Chronic Headaches
Headaches are an occasional unwelcome guest for many of us, but when they become a frequent visitor, you may be dealing with chronic daily headaches. A broad term that includes various subtypes defined by their frequency and duration. These headaches can be significantly debilitating, but with assertive initial treatment and ongoing management, pain reduction and fewer headaches are achievable. If this strikes a chord with your experience, don't hesitate to schedule an appointment with us.
Discover Unprecedented Relief from Chronic Headaches at PhysioFit: We prioritize personalization in your healthcare journey, acknowledging that individuals with Chronic Headaches necessitate distinct treatment strategies. Utilizing the potency of empirically-supported, fitness-centric physical therapy in bend, we aim to do more than merely alleviate your symptoms. Our mission encompasses the enhancement of your holistic health, prevention of enduring pain, and speeding up your recuperation period, enabling a smooth transition back into your daily routines.
What You Should Know
Migraine headaches can be categorized into two types: episodic and chronic. While chronic migraines happen more than 15 days in a month, episodic ones occur less frequently.
The very medicine you're consuming for headache relief could potentially be causing headaches: Taking pain relievers beyond two days a week, even common ones such as ibuprofen, puts you at risk for what's known as a rebound headache. Similarly, abruptly discontinuing regular pain medication can provoke headaches.
The origin of your headaches may not necessarily be your head: Secondary headaches stem from an underlying health issue, like degenerative disc disease in the spine, sinus infections, or past experiences of head trauma. Although infrequent, persistent headaches and visual disturbances can also be caused by brain tumors.
A proper diagnosis of a TMJ or TMD problem involves a thorough evaluation from a professional.
What Causes Chronic Headaches?
The triggers of numerous chronic daily headaches remain somewhat elusive. Authentic (primary) chronic daily headaches don't present with a detectable root cause.
However, a series of conditions could instigate nonprimary chronic daily headaches, such as:
Vascular Issues: Any inflammation or complications with the blood vessels surrounding or within the brain, including serious events like a stroke, could trigger chronic daily headaches.
Infectious Diseases: Certain infections, notably meningitis, can also result in the manifestation of chronic daily headaches.
Intracranial Pressure Discrepancies: Abnormally high or low pressure within the skull could prompt these types of headaches.
Presence of a Brain Tumor: Brain tumors, whether malignant or benign, could be a potential cause of chronic daily headaches due to the pressure they exert on surrounding brain tissue.
Traumatic Brain Injury: Traumatic events causing injury to the brain can also be a catalyst for chronic daily headaches, as the brain recovers and copes with the trauma.
If any of this information resonates with your current situation, we urge you to schedule an appointment with us immediately. Don't let hip pain diminish your life quality - allow us to help you embark on the path to relief today.
Can Chronic Headaches Be Prevented?
The short answer is yes, chronic headaches can often be prevented, or at least their frequency and intensity can be significantly reduced. The following strategies focus on lifestyle changes and self-care measures which can help you manage and potentially prevent chronic headaches:
Identify Headache Triggers: Proactively documenting each headache in a journal can highlight patterns and triggers, thereby helping you to avoid these. Make sure to record important details like the time the headache started, what you were doing, and how long it lasted.
Cautious Medication Usage: Excessive consumption of headache medications, including over-the-counter ones, can increase the severity and frequency of headaches. It's advisable to consult your doctor for a safe plan to gradually reduce medication use, as abrupt discontinuation can lead to severe side effects.
Quality Sleep: For an average adult, 7-8 hours of sleep a night is essential. Try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and seek medical advice if you have sleep disturbances, such as snoring.
Regular, Balanced Meals: Aim to eat healthy meals at consistent times daily. Be mindful of potential food and drink triggers like caffeine, and adjust your diet accordingly. Weight loss should be considered if obesity is a concern.
Regular Exercise: Engage in routine aerobic activities to improve your physical and mental well-being and reduce stress. Choose enjoyable activities like walking, swimming, or cycling, and remember to gradually increase the intensity to prevent injury.
Stress Management: Stress can often trigger chronic headaches. Incorporate stress-reducing techniques into your routine such as yoga, tai chi, and meditation. Moreover, staying organized, planning ahead, and maintaining a positive outlook can greatly help in managing stress.
Moderate Caffeine Intake: While caffeine is included in many headache medications due to its pain-alleviating properties, it can also exacerbate headaches. Try to reduce or completely remove caffeine from your diet.
Common Symptoms of Chronic Headaches
Chronic daily headaches, as the name implies, occur more than half the month, lasting for a period exceeding three months. Primary chronic daily headaches are those not precipitated by any underlying health condition.
These headaches can be of shorter or longer duration. Those falling in the long-lasting category persist for over four hours. The types of long-lasting chronic headaches encompass:
Persistent Migraines
Continuous Tension-Type Headache
Newly Appearing Daily Persistent Headache
Hemicrania Continua
Remember, if you resonate with any of the symptoms or conditions mentioned, we highly recommend making an appointment with us for a thorough evaluation and personalized treatment plan.
Please Note: The information provided on our website is intended for general education and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Each individual's situation and body is different. Therefore, what may work for one person may not work for another. We care about your well-being and advise you to reach out to us to discuss your specific needs before implementing any advice from our website.
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Flexion-Intolerant Lower Back Pain in CrossFitters
Understanding Flexion-Intolerant Low Back Pain in Functional Fitness
Flexion-intolerant low back pain (FILBP) is a prevalent issue among individuals engaged in functional fitness activities, including CrossFit. This condition is characterized by discomfort or pain during movements that involve bending forward at the lumbar spine. Exercises such as deadlifts, kettlebell swings, rowing, toes-to-bar, burpees, and devil's presses, which require significant lumbar flexion, can exacerbate symptoms.
Mechanisms Behind Flexion Intolerance
The lumbar spine's intervertebral discs are particularly susceptible to flexion-related stress. Repeated or sustained forward bending increases pressure on the anterior portion of these discs, potentially leading to disc herniation or bulging. This can irritate adjacent nerve roots, resulting in pain that may radiate to the buttocks or legs, commonly known as sciatica. Individuals with FILBP often experience heightened discomfort during activities involving forward bending and may find relief in positions that promote lumbar extension. However, while stretches like the "prayer stretch" may provide temporary relief, they can potentially exacerbate the problem by repeatedly placing the lumbar spine in a flexed position, which may aggravate underlying issues over time.
Common lumbar extension exercises that may provide relief include the "cobra" pose, repeated cobra movements, and the backward phase of a Glute-Ham Developer (GHD) sit-up. These exercises encourage spinal extension, which can help alleviate pressure on affected discs and reduce pain.
Impact on Functional Fitness and CrossFit
Functional fitness and CrossFit routines frequently incorporate high-repetition, high-intensity movements involving lumbar flexion. For example, a typical workout might include a sequence of 21 kettlebell swings, 15 toes-to-bar, and 9 deadlifts performed in rapid succession. While this workout can be effective for increasing fitness in individuals without FILBP, it can place significant stress on the lumbar spine for those with this condition. When executed with improper form or under fatigue, such routines may provoke increased symptoms in the back or legs.
Conclusion
FILBP presents a significant challenge for individuals participating in functional fitness and CrossFit. Consulting with a physical therapist who understands weightlifting and CrossFit, and modifying workouts to reduce lumbar flexion, can be effective steps toward managing symptoms and maintaining fitness goals. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and recognizing the impact of specific movements on the lumbar spine are crucial steps toward effectively addressing this condition.
If you're experiencing any of these symptoms and cannot resolve them, give us a call to see how we can help
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