Why Physical Therapy Can Be A Great Choice For Migraine Relief

If you’re someone who experiences the occasional migraine or experiences symptoms regularly, you know how it can put your plans on hold. Small tasks become difficult, and you may even avoid certain activities altogether for fear of a migraine attack. Studies show that migraines affect more than 10% of the population globally, most often impacting individuals between the ages of 20 and 50 years old. With this many people affected by migraine symptoms, your next question might be, “Can physical therapy help me with my migraine symptoms?” The answer would be YES!

Symptoms Of A Migraine

Migraine headaches can result from a variety of factors, such as stress, hormonal imbalances, and muscle tightness or weakness. Along with headaches, migraines can also be accompanied by symptoms of dizziness and vertigo. Vertigo may cause someone to feel like the room is spinning around them even though they are stationary. It has also been shown that two-thirds of individuals with migraines also report some degree of motion sickness.

How Physical Therapy Can Help

Physical therapy can help relieve migraine symptoms in various ways. If your symptoms include a vestibular component, such as vertigo, your therapist may perform maneuvers to correct the cause of the vertigo. Once that cause has been addressed, the next step is to work on any muscle tightness or weakness that may be present.

Common areas of tightness tend to be in the upper traps, levators (the muscle that connects the shoulder blade to the vertebral column and lies in the posterior triangle of the neck), cervical paraspinals (group of muscles that run along the back of the neck) and the suboccipital muscles (group of muscles situated underneath the occipital bone-back and lower part of the skull). Areas of weakness tend to be in these same muscles as well as those involved with posture.

Contact An Expert For Help

Addressing the root causes of migraines, including vestibular and musculature deficits, can significantly improve a patient’s overall function and quality of life. Contact your local Athletico to find a therapist who can help treat your migraine symptoms and get you back to enjoying life. Start by scheduling a free assessment to be seen in-person or virtually through our telehealth platform.

Schedule a Free Assessment

*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.

The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.

References:
1. Walter K. What Is Migraine? JAMA. 2022;327(1):93. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.21857