Specialization
Headaches are a very common complaint. Twenty percent of all Dutch people experience a headache at least once a week. The cause of headaches is often unclear, but fortunately, they are rarely serious. Muscle tension in the neck, medication, or poor sleep can influence headaches.
Tension headache
Tension headaches (occurring in about 45-50% of people) usually give the feeling as if a tight band is pressing or constricting around the forehead.
It starts gradually and goes away gradually as well. It can last from minutes to days. The neck and shoulders are often also painful and tense. The pain does not worsen with exertion. However, light or sound can aggravate the pain.
The pain is annoying, but you are usually able to continue with your daily activities.
Migraine
Migraine (occurring in about 10% of people) is a moderate to severe, throbbing headache usually on one side of the head.
A migraine attack lasts from 4 hours to 3 days. The headache worsens with exertion and is often accompanied by nausea or vomiting. During the attack, you often have difficulty tolerating light and sound. You prefer to sit or lie down quietly. It is often difficult to continue with your activities when you have a migraine.
A migraine attack often announces itself shortly beforehand. You might, for example, see shimmering lights or certain patterns of light. Some people smell typical odors just before an attack.
Cervicogenic headache
Cervicogenic headache (prevalence ranging from 1-4%) is a unilateral, mild form of headache that originates in the neck and is posture- and movement-dependent.
The headache may increase or decrease as a result of neck activities. This type of headache is always accompanied by neck pain and/or shoulder and arm pain on the same side.
Headache caused by medication use
Headache due to excessive use of headache medication (occurring in about 3-5% of people).
Any type of headache can worsen when you use painkillers regularly for months.
For example, if you already use paracetamol or an NSAID more than 15 times a month. Or if you use triptans (result medication for migraine: Maxalt, Sumatriptan, Immigram) more than 10 times a month.
Headache in children
Headaches in children aged 14 and over:
Headaches, like lung problems and eczema, occur relatively frequently as a long-term illness in children. Headache complaints can have a major impact on a child's quality of life. The consequences of headaches can include school absenteeism, sleep problems, an adverse reaction to stress/tension, and social limitations.
The most common type of headache (34%) is primary headache. This is not attributable to other disorders and has no demonstrable cause. For example, migraine and tension headache are primary forms of headache.
Secondary headache has a known condition or physical abnormality as the cause; this form is less common (4.4%). Examples include a respiratory infection or a mild skull condition.
In adults, it is sometimes difficult to recognize a headache; in children, it is even harder. After all, children who develop headaches at a young age cannot yet clearly indicate what is wrong. However, even with a somewhat older child who clearly describes the symptoms, it is by no means always clear that it is a headache. Furthermore, the symptoms can differ from those in adults.
In short, assessing the type of headache, the cause, and the pain in children is sometimes difficult to fathom. Additionally, parental concern about the child with a headache can play a role.
The Paramedical Headache Treatment Center treats children aged 14 and older. If necessary, the Paramedical Headache Treatment Center can collaborate with the manual therapist and pediatric physiotherapist treating a child with a headache.
Depending on the type of headache, treatment may include providing information and advice (for example, regarding the type of headache, headache triggers, and how to manage them), exercise therapy, and local treatment of the neck. The goal is for a child to experience fewer headaches and function better in their physical and social environment.
Dizziness
There are various forms of dizziness; the most common is BPPV. The vestibular system consists of three canals, into which debris enters in BPPV, causing the sensation of dizziness. This results in brief moments (30-60 seconds) of (rotational) dizziness during certain movements of the head or body. It often occurs when getting out of and lying down in bed, turning over in bed, looking up or bending over, and sometimes also during rapid turning movements of the head.
This dizziness can often be treated effectively and quickly by a (specialized) physiotherapist.
Besides BPPV, dizziness can have many different causes. Through questioning and examination, the specialized physiotherapist will determine the origin of the symptoms and how they should be treated. Often, this involves a combination of the functioning of the neck, eyes, vestibular system, and balance.
Jaw complaints (temporomandibular dysfunction)
Temporomandibular dysfunctions (TMD) is an umbrella term for complaints related to the masticatory system. Symptoms that can occur with TMD include:
- Headache
- Painful, tired, or tense chewing muscles
- Problems opening the mouth
- Pain in the jaw joint
- Ear pain, full feeling in the ear
- Painful or sensitive teeth
- Jaw joint sounds such as popping and cracking
- Tooth wear
TMD can be further subdivided into complaints concerning the masticatory muscles, the temporomandibular joint, or a combination of the two. The masticatory muscles can be overloaded due to parafunctions, clenching/grinding, but stress can also play a significant role. With temporomandibular joint complaints, there may be problems with moving the lower jaw. There may also be temporomandibular joint sounds (clicking, cracking). These sounds can arise from the forward displacement of the disc in the temporomandibular joint, which causes a clicking sound during mouth movements. Temporomandibular joint sounds can also be caused by a hypermobile temporomandibular joint.
The treatment may address, among other things, relaxing the chewing muscles, improving mouth opening, exercises to reduce the clicking sound, awareness of oral habits/parafunctions (tongue thrusting, nail biting, etc.), and possibly reducing clenching/grinding.
For more information, please contact Physiotherapy Health Centers Haarlemmermeer.
Headache symptoms after a concussion
After an accident in which the head made contact (for example, with the ground during a fall) or in which the head made a sudden, rapid movement (such as in a car accident), symptoms may arise. These include nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and headache.
The symptoms often resolve on their own within a few weeks. When this does not happen, it is naturally unpleasant. If the headache (and possibly other symptoms) persists, you can consult a specialized physiotherapist for treatment. The physiotherapist will investigate the source of the symptoms and treat them using manual techniques and/or exercises, as well as providing advice on managing the complaints.
Within our Headache paramedical treatment center, we work together as a team on your recovery.