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Chinese Headaches & Migraines
Addressing the Root Cause, Not Just the Symptoms
Prime Rehabilitation Services: Solving Headaches and Migraines at the Source
We deeply believe that treatment should not stop at the symptoms. We will thoroughly investigate and resolve the root cause of your pain, customising the best rehabilitation plan to help you get rid of pain and improve your quality of life.
What are Headaches and "Headache" (Tou Chi)?
Headaches are incredibly common. Nearly everyone experiences them, often referred to locally in Hong Kong as "Tou Chi" (頭赤). This pain typically affects the head and neck. While most headaches are benign, recurrent or severe pain can significantly disrupt your daily life.
We can generally categorize headaches into several types. The three most common include:
Tension Headaches
The most frequent type, often described as a tight band or pressure around the head. They are usually mild to moderate and affect both sides of the head.
Migraines
The pain is usually more severe, often described as throbbing or "pain on one side of the head" (一邊頭痛). Migraines frequently come with nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia).
Cluster Headaches
A rarer but extremely severe type of headache where pain concentrates around one eye, often described as burning or piercing.
Causes and Symptoms
Common Causes:
Many factors can trigger headaches and neck pain, including daily habits and activities:
- Muscle Tension: Over-tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back due to poor posture (such as being a "smombie" (低頭族) looking down at a phone) can lead to cervicogenic headaches (headaches originating from the neck).
- Stress and Anxiety: High mental stress causes your body to release chemicals that constrict blood vessels and tighten muscles, easily triggering tension headaches.
- Lack of Sleep: Changes in sleep patterns or poor sleep quality are often why people get a persistent "headache" (頭赤赤).
- Dietary Factors: Certain foods (like aged cheese, red wine, or caffeinated drinks) can become migraine triggers.
- Activity Triggers:
- Following high-intensity or improperly executed exercises, such as weightlifting or intense running.
- Activities requiring prolonged static posture, such as driving or extended reading.
- Swimming with poor neck technique or hyperextension can also worsen neck muscle tension.
Common Symptoms:
- Dull Pain or Pressure: A feeling like the head is being squeezed, typical of a tension headache.
- Throbbing or Stabbing: Often concentrated on one side of the head, accompanied by a "pounding" sensation, characteristic of a migraine.
- Nausea and Vomiting: Often accompany severe migraines.
- Sensitivity to Light and Sound (Photophobia/Phonophobia): Becoming extremely sensitive to normal light levels or noise.
- Neck Stiffness or Pain: Patients with cervicogenic headaches frequently experience simultaneous neck discomfort.
Treatment and Rehabilitation
- When facing acute headache and migraine episodes, mastering correct immediate responses and long-term rehabilitation is crucial.
- Immediate Management: Retreat to a quiet, dark room and lie down to rest. If a migraine strikes, try applying an ice pack to the head or neck to help constrict blood vessels.
- Physiotherapy Intervention: A professional physical therapist can accurately pinpoint the source of chronic headaches, such as upper cervical joint dysfunction or muscle tightness. Treatment methods include:
- Manual Therapy: Using professional cervical mobilization or soft tissue release techniques to relieve tension in the neck and shoulder muscles.
- Modality Treatment: Using electrotherapy, heat therapy, etc., to help alleviate acute muscle spasms and pain.
- Posture Correction Training: Addressing and correcting poor postures like "smombie neck" and rounded shoulders to fundamentally reduce neck pressure.
Stretching Exercises: Key for relieving tension headaches.
Upper Trapezius Stretch:
Slowly tilt your head to one side, gently assisting with the hand on the same side. Feel the stretch on the opposite shoulder and neck. Hold for 15-20 seconds.
Pectoralis Minor Stretch:
Stand in a doorway or against a corner with elbows bent 90 degrees against the wall. Slowly lean your body forward to open your chest, improving rounded shoulder posture.
2. Strengthening Exercises: To build up the deep muscles that protect the cervical spine.
Chin Tuck:
Gently pull your chin straight back as if trying to make a "double chin," keeping your head level. Feel a slight contraction in the back of your neck. Hold for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times.
Scapular Retraction:
Sit or stand tall. Squeeze your shoulder blades back and down, as if trying to hold a pencil between them. Hold for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times.
Important Note: If you experience increased pain while performing any exercise, stop immediately and seek assistance from a professional physiotherapist.
Our Services
Prime Rehabilitation Services provides professional physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. Our expert team will develop the most suitable treatment and training plan for your specific condition, helping you resolve your pain from the source and restore your best state.
If you have pain issues, contact us immediately and let our professional team provide you with a personalized treatment plan.