Physiotherapy

Headaches

The Infamous ‘Migraine’

4.9 million people in Australia suffer from migraine, with 71% of migraine sufferers being female.

Recurrent headaches or migraines can be extremely disruptive to your daily life, with over 300 potential causes of headache listed, it is important to have an accurate diagnosis to guide the correct investigations, treatment and management of your headache

So what is the cause? There is over 300 of them? How do we solve this? Nearly 8% of migraine sufferers experience chronic migraine (>15 migraine days/month).

Through significant research as conducted by Dr Dean Watson (founder of the Watson Headache Approach), it is accepted that the many different classifications of headache/migraine share a common pathway – the upper 3 segments of the cervical spine. Cervicogenic headache arises from the convergence of a noxious stimulus from the trigeminal (facial) nerves and cervical spine which assist in sensitising the lower brainstem. It is the chronic sensitisation of the brainstem that sets off the dreaded migraine. For some people they can prime the sensitised brainstem to set off a migraine through simple ingestants such as wine or chocolate, or even change of weather, or stress.

When it comes to a chronic migraine sufferer, posture is also key! Sustained poked neck positions can unsettle the cervical spine, enough to kickstart the noxious input that leads to the sensitisation of the brainstem and then eventually, migraines.

The treatment process for a true cervicognenic headache is here! Through assessment of the upper 3 level the of cervical spine, we can reproduce the head pain that you experience when having a migraine, and as the examination technique is sustained, resolve the head pain. This type of technique not only confirms that you are a true cervicogenic headache sufferer, but also assist in desensitising the brainstem, which is the root cause of the chronic migraines! This line of treatment follows the Watson Headache Approach – recognised internationally, now practiced and taught in 25 countries.

You should expect significant improvement in your condition within 5 sessions over the course of 3 weeks. The Watson Headache Approach is a completely safe treatment method utilising manual therapy techniques as taught by Dr Dean Watson himself. Healthproof staff are Watson Headache trained, our aim is to render you headache free, or at the very least reduce your migraine symptoms and chronicity! Contact Healthproof today to claim 50% off your initial headache assessment and consultation for the months of June/July!