The majority of Singaporeans are all too familiar with the uncomfortable symptoms of headaches, and how they can decrease work efficiency and quality of life. Learn about the various types and causes of headaches, and how visiting an osteopathic centre in Singapore helps to alleviate your symptoms.
What are headaches?
Headaches can be broadly defined as pain in one’s head or face, and can be either throbbing, constant, sharp, or dull. They are generally classified into 2 categories: primary and secondary. Primary headaches are not linked to other medical conditions and are when the headache itself is the main problem. While the pain from primary headaches can be disabling, the headaches are not dangerous. These include cluster, tension, cervicogenic, and migraines. A secondary headache is caused by another condition that triggers pain-sensitive areas in the neck and head. Secondary headaches are rare, but they can also be much more serious than primary headaches. Secondary headaches can be a warning sign of a more serious underlying condition, including:
Secondary headaches are linked to medical conditions, such as head injuries, hypertension, brain tumours and meningitis.
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, affecting both sides of the head and are mild to moderate. They can arise when neck muscles become tight (commonly the suboccipital group) due to either injury or postural fatigue. In contrast, cluster headaches can occur intensely during specific times, experienced as a throbbing and intense burning sensation behind one’s eyes. Migraines are moderate to severe headaches which are experienced as a throbbing pain on one side of the head. They affect approximately 10% of Singaporeans, and are often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound in the case of migraine attacks. In such cases, patients are advised to visit an osteopathic centre in Singapore to receive effective and long-lasting relief and treatment of symptoms.
Headache pain is thought to be due to signals that activate specific nerves affecting muscles and blood vessels, and which send pain signals to the brain. Some common triggers for headaches include stress, diets, alcohol intake, environment, hormonal changes, caffeine withdrawal, as well as lack of sleep. When in doubt, do seek the help of osteopathy in Singapore to ease your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
How does osteopathy treat headaches?
Osteopathic centres in Singapore tap into the whole-person approach of osteopathy to manipulate patients’ musculoskeletal framework via various techniques that include stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance. This allows osteopaths to treat not just surface-level symptoms but also underlying ones, such as improved movement and drainage of body fluids through relaxing muscle spasms and reducing tension in muscles, joints, and nerves in the case of treating headaches and migraines.
Cranial osteopathy in Singapore is one of the most popular forms of osteopathy used in treating headaches and migraines. It focuses on gentle manipulation of the head and spine to release stress and tension from the body. Cranial osteopaths have extensive training to hone their sense of touch, allowing them to sense subtle changes, tensions, and rhythms in patients’ bone and soft tissue. They apply various forms of cranial palpation techniques to ease pressure and pain that patients experience, while also engaging the body’s healing mechanisms to promote overall recovery.
In addition to treating headaches and migraines, cranial osteopathy treats numerous conditions that Singaporeans face; such as relieving stress and fatigue, promoting childbirth recovery, alleviating neck and back pain which can arise from poor work posture, as well as insomnia and digestion problems. In particular, cranial osteopathy is effective for treating infants and young children due to its therapeutic and highly relaxing nature, promoting their healthy development and easing symptoms from childhood conditions.
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