These five stretches target the most important muscles that cause headache pain. Forward flexion for the suboccipitals: Sitting up straight, bring your chin in toward your throat and try to tuck it in the notch between your collar bones. Clasp your hands behind your head and gently pull so that you feel a stretch at the […]
During the treatment of Melinda W., suffering from years of chronic headache pain, she told me that one of the most important things she learned in her healing process was to “touch the places that hurt.” That’s a hard thing to do when it causes more pain, but holding pressure on places that hurt will […]
As a Neuromuscular Therapist, how do I think about chronic headache pain? If medical reasons for headaches have been ruled out, the cause is probably muscular Trigger Points. Examining the muscles in the neck and shoulders usually turns up at least one cause. But finding unhealthy muscles with Trigger Points is only targeting the symptoms. […]
In the case of Melinda W., I found a scoliosis and lower limb length inequality (LLLI) that were tilting her shoulders, causing tension in the jaw (TMJ) and neck musculature and giving her chronic headaches. I recommended trying a heel lift to level her out, and she scheduled a TMJ evaluation at a major Boston […]
A 38 year old fit mother of two little ones was referred by a professional acquaintance to my Neuromuscular Therapy center near Boston for treatment of twelve years of chronic headaches. There had been no accident or initiating event. They had come on insidiously and had grown steadily worse to the point that the quality […]
Practice body awareness. Here are 5 things to check: Are you clenching your jaw or holding the muscles in your jaw tightly? Open your mouth as wide as you can for a few seconds then let it go, relax your jaw. How does it feel different? Are you squinting or scrunching up the muscles around […]
Look for a daypack with an internal frame. Do a search on Amazon for an “Internal Frame Backpacks.” Check models like the Kelty Redwing series or find one on wheels if your teenager isn’t too humiliated. Using an internal frame with a waist strap makes the pack sit on your hips instead of putting pressure […]
It is important for chronic pain patients to understand that they will have flareups. The muscles are not completely healed, and when there are perpetuating factors like extra stress, physical exertion and disrupted sleep, it is normal for the muscles to react. It should be expected and not be a source of anxiety. The process […]
After the first and second Neuromuscular Therapy treatments in the case of Katy H., as expected, Katy was extremely sore for two or three days from the release of waste products from the treated muscles. In the following two weeks she had two flareups, but nothing between them. Headaches were more sporadic rather than constant. […]
In the case of Katy H., the first Neuromuscular Therapy session focused on the three suspected muscle groups. They were treated with gentle sustained pressure, increasing pressure as it became more tolerable, especially in tender spots where the muscle referred pain to her head. Deep slow gliding strokes were used to lengthen and soften the […]