Headaches Treatment Edinburgh
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Headaches Treatment At Active X Edinburgh
How common is pain from headaches?
How to Relieve Pain Associated with Headaches
Stay active
Movement is medicine. While it’s tempting to rest, remaining active as your pain permits is vital. The type and intensity of activity is dependent on whether your pain is new or chronic, our team can help you build a comfortable but healing exercise plan.
Should you use painkillers?
Clinical guidance on medication is shifting. Recent evidence suggests anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) may actually interfere with the body’s natural healing process and prolong recovery. Opioids present a risk of dependency and mask symptoms rather than resolving the root cause.
Professional Treatment
There is strong clinical evidence that manual therapies, including osteopathy, physiotherapy, and massage therapy, are highly effective for headaches.
What causes it?
It’s highly unlikely to be caused by any sort of disease process. These are rarely the cause. But it is possible; so it’s worth consulting an experienced clinician if your pain persists for more than a few days.
Non-specific Headache Pain
If you’ve been told your headache pain is ‘non-specific’, it just means there isn’t one single diagnosis that explains everything. Most head pain stems from a combination of factors. Our approach is to move past the vague labels and identify the specific mechanisms - the ‘why’ behind the pain - so we can treat it effectively.
Diagnosis versus Functional Assessment
While a diagnosis typically identifies a single source of pain, like muscle tension or migraine, our Functional Assessment (FA) takes a broader view. Instead of looking for one isolated cause, the FA pinpoints the various contributing factors unique to your headache. We then explain the specific mechanisms at play, showing you exactly how these different factors interact to create the pain you’re experiencing.
Should I get an MRI for my Headaches?
In most cases, an MRI won’t be necessary and isn’t the first step. While painful, most headaches are benign. During your first appointment, we’ll walk you through an assessment of your injury to determine the best course of treatment and whether imaging is clinically indicated. In the meantime, try to avoid ‘Dr. Google’ - it usually adds more stress than clarity!
Prevention
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise regularly
- Stretch
- Practice good posture
- Stay hydrated
When To See A Doctor For Your Headache pain
If you answer “Yes”, we recommend you see a clinician specialising in this area:
Active X has specialised in relief AND prevention since 1993. Our team, based in the West End of Edinburgh are keen to help you.
Secure your appointment today, by clicking one of the links below.
- Is your pain worse when you’re trying to sleep compared with during the day?
- Have you ever been diagnosed with cancer?
- Do you have any difficulty gripping things, or a heavy arm?
- Have you been on a prolonged course of oral corticosteroids (steroids by mouth) in the past or now?
- Have you experienced a fierce headache with or without the inability to bend your head forwards?
- Have you lost any great amount of weight without meaning to over the last year?
- Have you had surgery for your headaches in the last 2 years?
- Have you suffered any significant trauma recently, which in any way could impact on your headaches?
- Have you had a persistent high temperature or chills recently?
- Are you also having episodes of dizziness or nausea?