Are you constantly suffering from headaches?
Headaches are one of the most common types of pain affecting our everyday lifestyle. These headaches are most notably pain that is felt around the base of your skull, front or top of your head and behind your eyes. The fact of the matter is most headaches begin through significant muscle tightness (Knots) in the upper neck and shoulders.
When you say, “I have a muscle knot” You are actually talking about myofascial trigger points. In fact, the dominant theory behind tension headaches refers to a patch of tightly contracted muscle, which affects only a small part of the muscle tissue. That small patch of “knotted muscle” cuts off its own blood supply, which then causes irritation and can begin to trigger pain into the head.
How does your daily routine contribute to headaches?
It is primarily due to poor posture through our addiction to screens that causes these symptoms. Activities such as sitting at a computer, driving or looking down at your mobile phone, all contribute to forward head posture. It is this posture that begins to place increased strain on the muscles of your neck and shoulders which over time begins to irritate the tissue and these unexplained headaches start to become more and more frequent.
Why Soft tissue treatment and NOT medication is the answer?
It is unbelievable to hear the amount of people that don’t understand why they are getting constant and reoccurring headaches. Medications such as Nurofen and Panadol are great at masking symptoms by decreasing inflammation and dulling pain receptors. However, they will not restore muscle length and function, therefore headaches become a daily occurrence because the actual problem is not being addressed.
Relieving muscle tension through specific muscle releases has been proven to be beneficial, as it will increase blood flow and oxygen to tight muscles, allowing them to relax in order to remain strong and flexible. After all, your muscles are responsible for every movement your body makes and that is why they need to be looked after.