Headaches and migraines are incredibly common and can have a significant impact on everyday life. Whether it’s a dull ache across your forehead, tension at the base of your skull, pain radiating from your neck, or a migraine that leaves you needing to lie down in a dark room, these symptoms can affect work, sleep, concentration and overall wellbeing.
At Meadowside Osteopathy, we take the time to understand what may be contributing to your symptoms and provide treatment tailored to your individual needs.
We regularly see patients with:
Headaches are an umbrella term for pain felt in the head, face or upper neck and can occur for many different reasons. Common triggers include stress, muscle tension, poor posture, prolonged desk work, dehydration, lack of sleep and jaw clenching.
Tension headaches are the most common type and are often described as a feeling of pressure or tightness around the head. Tight muscles and reduced movement in the neck, shoulders and jaw can sometimes contribute to these symptoms.
Migraines are different. They are a neurological condition rather than simply a severe headache. Alongside head pain, migraines may cause symptoms such as:
Migraine triggers vary from person to person and may include stress, hormonal changes, poor sleep, dehydration, certain foods or sensory overload. Although osteopathy cannot cure migraines, addressing musculoskeletal factors such as neck, jaw and upper back tension may help reduce contributing factors for some people.
Your first appointment begins with a detailed assessment of your symptoms, medical history and lifestyle. We will look at how your neck, jaw, shoulders and upper back are moving, alongside factors such as posture, work habits, sleep and activity levels that may be influencing your symptoms.
Treatment is always tailored to you and may include:
Our aim is to improve movement, reduce unnecessary strain and help you better understand the factors that may be contributing to your headaches.
Most headaches are not caused by a serious medical problem, but some symptoms require urgent assessment.
Please seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
If you are ever unsure, it is always safest to seek medical advice.
Living with regular headaches or migraines can be frustrating and exhausting. Our goal is not only to provide hands-on treatment where appropriate, but also to help you understand your symptoms and give you practical strategies to support long-term management.
If headaches or migraines are affecting your quality of life, we’d be happy to help you explore whether your neck, jaw, posture or upper back could be contributing, and work with you to create a treatment plan that fits your needs.
This simple exercise can help improve neck posture and reduce strain on the muscles at the base of the skull.
