Headaches – How to tell when they are serious

More than 10 million people in the UK get headaches regularly, making them one of the most common health complaints.

The most common treatment is to take a pain killer.  In previous blog posts I have explored other treatments including

Most headaches aren’t serious and are easily treated.  However it is important that anyone with a headache “that is out of the norm” should see their GP as soon as possible. Particularly if the headache is more likely to be serious i.e.:

  • it occurs suddenly and is very severe – often described as a blinding pain unlike anything experienced before
  • it doesn’t go away and gets worse over time
  • it occurs after a severe head injury
  • it’s triggered suddenly by coughing, laughing, sneezing, changes in posture, or physical exertion
  • you have symptoms suggesting a problem with your brain or nervous system, including weakness, slurred speech, confusion, memory loss, and drowsiness
  • you have additional symptoms, such as a high temperature (fever), a stiff neck, a rash, jaw pain while chewing, vision problems, a sore scalp, or severe pain and redness in one of your eyes

Tension headaches (see headache categorization) are one of the most common complaints we see in the Vitality Therapy treatment rooms, and Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage is what we recommend. (Book here)

Related Posts

  • Top tips for preventing sports injuries

    Many sports injuries occur because people don't know how to prevent them. Here are some tips to help prevent injuries:

    1. Always wear the correct gear. Players should always wear appropriate and properly fitted protective sports gear such as pads (neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee, shin), helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups, and/or eye wear.
    2. Increase muscle strength.
    3. Increase flexibility. Stretch!
    4. Use the proper technique.
    5. Take rests.
    6. Follow the rules of your sport and play safe.
    7. Stop the activity if there is pain.
    8. Keep hydrated.
    Remember if you do get injured Vitality Therapy offers sports massage to help you recover.  

  • Running & Running Injuries

    In the UK around 10.5 million people run or jog as a leisure activity and or fitness activity.  Running injuries are common and may variables can contribute.  Running injuries can happen to both experienced and inexperienced runners - up to 79% of runners with get injured in any one year. Most running injuries occur in the lower extremities as you would expect.  With the knee being the most common injured site followed by the lower leg, foot and upper leg.  The top five injuries are:

    1. Patellofemoral pain - generic term for describe pain at the front and around the knee cap.
    2. Illiotibial band (ITB) syndrome - pain on the outside of the knee.
    3. Tibial stress fractures/syndrome - fatigue induced stress fracture.
    4. Plantar fasciitis - pain in the heel or bottom of the foot.
    5. Achilles tendonitis - pain, swelling and stiffness of the achilles tendon.
    All the above injuries apart from stress fractures can be treated with sports massage. The high rate of injury among runners is a cause for concern so in future posts I will look at the common causes we see in clinic and discuss how to prevent injuries. Reference Sports Marketing Surverys Inc (2014) UK's running population reaches a remarkable 10.5m says Sports Marking Surverys Inc. A Altman, IS Davis (2012) Barefoot running: biomechanics and implications for running injuries.  Current Sports Medicine Reports 11(5):244-50 JE Taunton, MB Ryan, DB Clement, DC McKenzie et al (2002) A retrospective case-control analysis of 2002 running injuries.  British Journal of Sports Medicine 36(2):95-101

  • Did you know this reduces your changes of getting a cold or flu?

    When I worked in an office, this was the time of the year when everyone either got the office cold or sometimes even worse flu, so I wanted to share something that can reduce your chance of getting one. Garlic has been used for centuries as both a food ingredient and a medicine.  Garlic contains compounds that help the immune system fight germs and has show promise as a treatment for preventing colds and the flu.  Studies have shown that garlic reduces the risk of becoming sick in the first place, as well as how long you stay sick.  It can also reduce the severity of symptoms. One study gave 146 healthy volunteers either garlic supplements or a placebo for three months. The garlic group had a 63% lower risk of getting a cold, and their colds were also 70% shorter.  Another study found that colds were on average 61% shorter for subjects who ate 2.56 grams of aged garlic extract per day, compared to a placebo group. Their colds were also less severe. If you often get sick with a cold or flu, eating garlic can help reduce your symptoms or prevent your illness entirely. However, a review of the evidence found that many of the studies investigating the effects of garlic on the common cold were of poor quality. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25961060 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11238820 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11697022 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901