We are a welcoming clinic in Blackheath providing osteopathic treatment for headaches and migraines. Osteopathy can help with certain types of headaches to relieve your symptoms and help to prevent headaches occuring in future, without the need for drugs.
We also treat a range of related conditions including neck pain and shoulder pain, and operate Blackheath back pain clinic and Blackheath sports injury clinic services. We treat all the family including children and babies, and booking is easy with our online system. There are no long wait times and you can usually see a clinician face-to-face within 24-48 hours of booking your appointment.
There are many types and causes of headache. Although some headaches may be caused by more serious underlying conditions, many are reasonably innocuous and are caused by lifestyle factors such as stress, screen usage and caffeine.
Headaches are also divided into primary and secondary headaches. Primary headaches – such as migraines – occur when the primary problem is the headache itself, while secondary headaches are caused by another condition – for example headaches caused by solvent inhalation or dehydration.
Osteopaths treat three different types of headache:
It is also possible that you are suffering from a secondary headache caused by a problem elsewhere in the body that is treatable with osteopathy. Osteopaths are Primary Care Practitioners, able to assess and diagnose your headache symptoms in the first instance, and refer you for further tests or alternative treatment if necessary.
Tension headaches are what most people think of as a “normal” headache, and commonly feel like a tight band around the head. As the name suggests they are frequently caused by tension and stress, and other lifestyle factors such as screen usage.
Tension headaches are reasonably common, and many people self-treat with over-the-counter medication, or simply by resting, covering the eyes or relaxing. If you find yourself frequently suffering from tension headache you should consider making an appointment to look at the underlying factors and what can be done to relieve your symptoms. If you suffer from tension headaches more than 15 days a month you are considered to have chronic tension headaches.
The word cervicogenic means “originating from the neck”, and cervicogenic headaches are caused by tension, tightness and similar issues with the structures of the neck. This could be caused simply by tension or by misalignment of the neck – for example from developing a forward head posture caused by a long time slouching forward whilst working at a desk – or by keeping the neck in an unnatural position for a long time, for example when painting a ceiling.
The biggest clue that a headache is cervicogenic in origin is if it is affected by neck movement, for example if you find that your head hurts when moving the head or neck in a certain way. Cervicogenic headaches are also frequently felt on one side of the head only. An osteopath can examine the alignment of your cervical spine and identify any tension or other problems in the muscles and other structures of the neck and accurately diagnose whether this is likely to be the cause of your headaches.
Migraines are a more intense and longer-lasting headache that may last from 4 to 72 hours and are often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, light aversion and visual sensations known as aura. Migraines can be extremely painful and debilitating, but are reasonably common and experienced by approximately 1 in 7 people, with men much more likely to suffer migraines than women.
There are many different causes of migraine. Physical therapy through osteopathy focuses on prevention and management of migraines, and can often help to make your migraines less intense and less frequent. Your osteopath might also recommend further tests and liaise with your GP or specialist to create the best treatment plan for your particular case.
If you regularly suffer from migraines, you might also like to visit The Migraine Trust, who provide much useful information and support.
Our skilled and experienced practitioners take a person-centred approach and are dedicated to helping you back to full health, whatever your age, activity level or health goals. Our osteopaths are fully registered with the General Osteopathic Council and Institute of Osteopathy.
Osteopathy is an ideal treatment for many headaches, allowing the therapist to get directly to the root of the problem by releasing physical tension in the head and neck, improving blood flow, and improving the alignment of your cervical spine. Dry needling can also help to release tension, promote relaxation and relieve headache symptoms.
Osteopaths use a range of physical therapy techniques, including direct spine and joint manipulation to bring your neck back into better alignment, mobilisation, and soft tissue techniques such as deep tissue massage. We can also give you advice on issues like posture and workstation setup to avoid the buildup of tension in the structures of the head and neck.
Osteopathy is a safe and conservative treatment that is also suitable for babies and children. You can read more about osteopathy on our osteopathy page.
We are a welcoming family clinic providing osteopathic headache treatment in Blackheath. We are registered with the General Osteopathic Council and Institute of Osteopathy and have many years experience treating headaches. We are able to accurately diagnose the cause of your headache in the first instance, and refer you for further tests or other services if we are not the most appropriate treatment for you.
Booking is easy with our online system. There are no long wait times and you can normally see an osteopath face-to-face for a 45-minute appointment within 24-48 hours of booking your appointment. We are here to help and if you have any questions about osteopathy or how we may be able to help with your headaches, please contact us.
The information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Nirosan Sriskandarajah MOst, osteopath and clinical director of Sphere Osteopathic Clinic.
Sphere Osteopathic Clinic
5 Delacourt Road
Blackheath
London SE3 8XA
