Tension headaches caused by holiday stress can be relieved with the help of physical therapy, according to physical therapists in Santa Clarita.
The holiday season can be one of the most stressful times of the year because of the obligations associated with it. Whether the stress comes from visiting family, completing holiday shopping or planning a holiday party, the stress does not need to necessarily manifest into a headache if the right steps are taken.
Depending on the cause of the headache, it can be relieved with the use of physical therapy, according to Gabe Perez, physical therapist at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.
“What we as physical therapists can do, after a thorough examination and a series of questions, is determine the likely causes of your headache,” said Tim Eckard, co-owner and clinic director at Kinetix Advanced Physical Therapy. “Then, we can treat these causes.”
A physical therapist can examine the patient experiencing headaches through a series of questions, and they can attempt to determine what caused the headache. From there, they can help treat those causes, Eckard says.
With the use of manual therapy, treatments focus on three areas: improved posture, improved strength in the upper back, neck and shoulders, and improved mobility in the neck and spine through stretching and pain-reducing movements, a Kinetix Advanced Physical Therapy news release says.
“Physical therapists would first address the tightness felt in your neck, which would be eased with proper posture and treatment with a physical therapist,” said Perez. “We want to help with pain relief.”
Tension headaches are the second-most common illness worldwide, affecting 80 to 90% of people at least once in their lives, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Library of Medicine.
