Emotional stress and physical stress go hand in hand, with either capable of causing or aggravating the other.
Being in stressful situations can cause muscles to tighten up as the body goes into "fight or flight" mode.
When tightness affects the small muscles at the base of the skull, those muscles may pull on a pain-sensitive membrane in the head called the dura mater.
The dura mater responds by sending out waves of pain, giving you a classic stress (or tension) headache.
While pain-relieving drugs such as NSAIDs (Aleve, Tylenol, Ibuprofen) can relieve the occasional headache, what they can't do is address the stresses that lead to chronic headache problems.
For that level of relief, seeing a physical therapist is beneficial.
At BURD PT, we conduct a thorough evaluation that includes an examination of your neck and cervical spine, a discussion of your symptoms, and an analysis of lifestyle factors that may be sources of stress.
This background allows us to create a headache management program largely rooted in the management of stress and its effects.
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