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

  • Massage for Runners … its all about optimising recovery

    We are introducing a new service: Runners Massage a special service to assist runners to optimise their recovery the massage will

    • flush out all the waste products in the tired muscles
    • address micro tears in the muscles
    which rejuvenates the tired heavy muscles making them feel light. The goal for runners is to first and foremost prevent the kind of wear and tear that comes with putting physical demands on your body. Yes; running is fantastic and ultimately good for your overall health, but if you are going to push your body to its limits you must prepare it and maintain it to avoid potential injury. With strenuous running, your muscles can lose their ability to relax and they become shorter and tighter.   Chronically tight muscles will lose their flexibility and that is really asking for trouble, as it makes you so much more susceptible to injury.  If your muscles lose flexibility, they can easily pull or tear, and tight muscles become very sore. Blood flow is poor through tightened muscles (ischemia) and that also cause pain.  Massage stretches the muscles in a much more specific way than stretching after a run, to regain lost flexibility. Click here to book your runners massage  

  • Why does slumping at your desk contribute to lower back pain?

    We all know that we should maintain good posture when sitting rather than slumping (poor posture) to avoid lower back pain, but why? The human spine is an upright bendy column and in someone with good posture it’s an S shape.  With perfect posture a straight line can be drawn through the ear, the tip of the shoulder, the front of the knee joint and the back of the ankle. The spine is made of 24 vertebrae or segments.  If we look at the S shape it consist of the cervical lordosis which is the arch in the neck, this is followed by the thoracic kyphosis which is an arch in the chest in the opposite direction, this is then followed by the lumbar arch or lumbar lordosis which is the hollow in the lower back. Perfect lumbar lordosis (or perfect arch in your lower back) helps

    • Ensure the correct distribution of your body weight
    • Allows your lower back to bow forwards slightly when walking to absorb the impact during walking
    The lumbar lordosis lessens when we are sitting as our pelvises tip backwards on to the sitting bones and increases when we stand.   This explains why some people with lower back pain feel worse when sitting and better when standing.  Furthermore sitting for long periods of time in a slumped “C” shaped posture, changes our weight distribution through our spine, compressing the lumbar vertebra which often leads to lower back pain. So what is good sitting posture? When seated, keep these tips in mind:
    • Choose a chair that allows you to rest both feet flat on the floor while keeping your knees level with your hips. If necessary, prop up your feet with a footstool or other support.
    • Sit back in your chair. If the chair doesn't support your lower back's curve, place a rolled towel or small pillow behind your lower back.
    • Stretch the top of your head toward the ceiling, and tuck your chin in slightly.
    • Keep your upper back and neck comfortably straight.
    • Keep your shoulders relaxed — not elevated, rounded or pulled backward.

    Remember

    Although good posture should be natural, you might feel wooden or stiff at first if you are used to slumping rather than sitting up straight.  The key is to practice good posture all the time, and be extra vigilant when you are really concentrating, getting tired or its late in the day. You can make improvements at any age. Stretching and core strengthening exercises can help, too. And if you have got lower back pain, why not try massage.  

  • Tips for Triathletes

    It is important to warm up properly before you perform any exercise, especially training for a Triathlon. A proper warm-up routine should last for a minimum of 10 minutes and is the most useful cause of helping prevent injury.

    • Start with a few minutes of gentle exercise, such as walking or jogging, to get the blood flowing to your muscles.
    • Steadily increase the pace until you are running briskly.
    • Once your muscles are warm, do some gentle stretching exercises, paying particular attention to the muscle groups that you will be using. With Triathletes, focusing on your legs and back is a good start. During the running and cycling stages, these will be key to your injury prevention. Make sure you warm your legs by the above process and then make sure all hamstrings, quads and calves are stretched well. You must only begin more vigorous activity after you have warmed up and stretched thoroughly.
      Also to recognise:
    • Always drink plenty of water when you exercise to prevent dehydration. If you become dehydrated, your physical and mental fitness will be altered.
    • Make sure you wear the proper attire for training and during the event. Lightweight breathable clothing can help prevent water retention in clothing creating more weight on the body.
    • Correct and secure footwear is also essential. Inspect the footwear before running, if worn in a particular angle, get new shoes. Continuing to run with this footwear can cause pronating or supinating of the angle. This could then lead to an ankle injury or potential ligament damage of the ankle.
    • Correct thickness and fitted socks to avoid blisters
      When you have finished exercising, cool down properly with 5–10 minutes:
    • Light aerobic activity, such as easy running, jogging or walking for a period of time
    • A gentle cool down will help remove the waste products that have built up in your muscles, leaving you with less muscle stiffness and soreness afterwards.
    • Some gentle stretching, focusing on the muscle groups you have used during exercise.
    • If you have exercised for a while a sports massage within 5 days after a vigorous work out, will help to remove the lactic acid (waste product) and prevent muscle stiffness and prevent injury or cause scar tissue on any affected areas of the body that could be in pain after a triathlon.