What is a Headache?
When you experience a headache, you’re dealing with one of Australia’s most common health complaints. Though about 15 per cent of Australians are taking painkillers for headaches at any given time, persistent head pain isn’t something you should consider normal or simply accept. Your headache is your body’s way of signalling that something requires attention.
Many people rely on pain medication to manage their headaches, but this approach merely masks your symptoms rather than addressing their underlying cause. It’s similar to covering the warning light on your car’s dashboard without fixing the mechanical issue it’s highlighting.
Common Types of Headache
You may be experiencing tension headaches or migraines, which affect most headache sufferers, while cluster headaches are less common. Your symptoms might also be classified as sinus headaches, rebound headaches (often caused by medication overuse), or exertion headaches that occur during or after physical activity.
Causes of Headache
Your headaches might stem from various factors affecting your daily life, including stress, poor posture at work or home, previous accidents, medications you’re taking, environmental triggers like strong smells or pollution, or dietary factors. Many patients are surprised to learn that nerve irritation in the upper neck, resulting from dysfunctional spinal joints and tense vertebral muscles, is frequently responsible for their headache pain. Since the nerves in your upper neck connect to areas of your scalp and face, any irritation can manifest as headache pain.
Treating Headaches with Osteopathy
Manual therapy can help address your headache pain by carefully restoring proper movement to the spinal joints in your neck. This approach reduces nerve irritation and muscle tension that may be contributing to your headaches. Rather than simply masking your symptoms, osteopathic treatment aims to identify and address the underlying causes of your head pain.
Your North Melbourne Osteopath, Dr Paul O’Keefe, is trained to determine whether your headaches might indicate a serious condition requiring referral, or if they can be effectively managed through osteopathic treatment. He’ll develop a personalised approach tailored specifically to address your unique headache pattern and contributing factors.
Payment Types Available: HICAPS, EFTPOS, VISA & Mastercard
Most private health insurance companies cover Osteopathy for Headaches. We recommend contacting your medical insurance company to clarify the terms and conditions of your policy.
*Veterans most welcome
For advice regarding Osteopathy for Headaches call 9329 7077 or
