Headache and Migraine Treatment in Christchurch
Headache & Migraine Treatment in Christchurch
Living with recurring headaches or migraines can be exhausting. You might find yourself cancelling plans, struggling to concentrate, missing out on exercise or simply wishing you could get through the day without discomfort.
When headaches keep returning, it can be difficult to know what is causing them or where to turn for help.
At Triskelion Concussion Care and Osteopathy in Christchurch, I take the time to listen to your story, understand your symptoms and consider how they are affecting your everyday life.
Headaches can have many different causes. Sometimes, neck discomfort, muscle tension or restricted movement may contribute to the problem. Other headaches, including migraine, involve more complex processes and may require medical management.
My approach is gentle, thoughtful and tailored to you. Together, we can explore whether osteopathic care may be helpful and discuss the most appropriate next steps for your needs.
Take the first step
If headaches are affecting your everyday life, you do not have to work through your concerns alone.
If you would like to explore whether osteopathic care may be appropriate, I welcome you to get in touch. you can book an appointment or we can discuss your situation and help you decide which appointment would best suit your needs.
Could your neck be contributing to your headaches?
Have you noticed that your headaches sometimes occur alongside neck pain or stiffness, muscle tension, shoulder tension or discomfort when turning your head?
For some people, the neck can contribute to headaches. These headaches could be either cervicogenic headaches or tension type headache.
However, not every headache that involves the neck comes from the neck, and symptoms can overlap with other types of headache, including migraine.
An individual assessment can help me consider whether your neck and musculoskeletal function may be playing a role.
If osteopathic care is appropriate, I will explain the techniques and tailor treatment to your comfort and needs.
How Osteopathy can help with headaches?
No two people experience headaches in quite the same way. That is why I believe it is important to understand the person, not just the symptoms.
During your appointment, we will discuss when your headaches started, how often they occur, what they feel like and whether you have noticed any triggers. I will also ask about your general health, neck discomfort, previous injuries and how your symptoms affect your daily activities.
Where appropriate, we use gentle hands-on osteopathic techniques to address musculoskeletal discomfort, muscle tension or movement restrictions that may be contributing to some headaches.
Your care may also include advice about movement, everyday activities and when further medical assessment would be helpful.
The aim is to help you better understand your symptoms and identify practical ways forward. Everyone is different, so every osteopathic treatment will be suited to your needs.
Living with migraines
A migraine is more than an ordinary headache. It can involve throbbing pain, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, dizziness and fatigue. For some people, it can mean putting life on hold until the symptoms ease.
If you experience migraines, I understand how frustrating it can be when it interferes with work, family life or the activities you enjoy.
Migraines are a neurological condition, and its management may involve gentle osteopathic care your GP or another healthcare professional, medication and individual strategies to manage symptoms.
Where neck discomfort or muscle tension is also present, osteopathic care should be considered as an additional part of your management plan. It is not a cure for migraine, and I will always be honest with you about what treatment may and may not help with.
Headaches following concussion
Headaches can be one of the symptoms people experience after a concussion. You may also notice neck discomfort, dizziness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating or sensitivity to light and noise.
Recovery can feel frustrating, particularly when symptoms affect your ability to work, study, exercise or return to sport.
Triskelion Concussion Care and Osteopathy offer concussion assessment and personalised recovery support. Osteopathic treatment form part of your wider care, particularly when associated neck or musculoskeletal symptoms need attention.
If your headaches began after a head injury, an appropriate concussion assessment is important. Osteopathic treatment should not replace concussion management or medical care.
You can learn more about my approach on the Concussion Care page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How osteopathy can help with headaches?
Some headaches are associated with neck discomfort, muscle tension or other musculoskeletal factors. When these are contributing to your symptoms, osteopathic treatment is very helpful.
Headaches can have many causes, so an assessment is important to determine whether this approach is suitable for you.
Can osteopathy help with migraines?
A migraine is a neurological condition, and osteopathy can be a useful part to help manage them. If you experience migraines alongside neck discomfort or muscle tension, osteopathic care should be considered.
Can you help with headaches after a concussion?
Headaches can occur following concussion and may be accompanied by other symptoms. It is important to assess the head injury and manage concussion appropriately. Osteopathic treatment should be considered for associated musculoskeletal symptoms as part of a wider recovery plan, where clinically appropriate.
What happens at my first appointment?
We will discuss your symptoms, their onset, health history and concerns before carrying out an appropriate assessment. Assessment may very depending on the cause on your headache, following a head injury it will be part of a concussion assessment or specific osteopathic assessment. We will explain findings and recommendations, and we will discuss the next steps together.
When to seek urgent medical attention?
A “thunderclap” headache or a headache extremely different from your normal ones. Sudden confusion, seizures, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, slurred speech.
