At northlondonosteopaths, Alan Nevies and his colleagues see many patients suffering from different types of headaches. Those prone to frequent headaches apparently try alternative remedies more than any other group. There may be many types of such headaches, including migraine, tension, chronic, cluster and many avenues to walk down in search of temporary or permanent relief. People might try osteopathy, acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy. To offer the best advice to those afflicted by the misery of these headaches complementary practitioners have undertaken a comprehensive review to see which type of treatment is best in each case. According to this review, migraines may respond best to acupuncture. Osteopathy, ie spinal manipulation and massage, will be the recommendation for those suffering from tension headaches. It should be noted that a third of patients may experience some fleeting dizziness and neck pain after the treatment. Yoga was recommended as being broadly helpful for all the categories of headache.

Alan Nevies and his colleagues and northlondonosteopathy have the following advice for patients who don’t know what is the best route out of headache misery for them. Firstly, ensure that you have drank sufficiently as a lack of water can lead to dehydration which in turn leads to headaches. Secondly, see if your neck has restricted ranges of movement or if certain rotation/side bending increases the symptoms. This is normally indicative of a spinal facet problem that can be helped with manipulation and massage. Thirdly, is it food related? Do you suffer from these headaches after eating certain foods? Some people experience a particular type of head pain after eating food with MSG. Fourthly, tension often leads to headaches and this can be helped with acupuncture or exercise such as Pilates or yoga. Fifthly, look at your posture to make sure you are facing what you are doing and not straining your joints.

Alan Nevies and his colleagues at northlondonosteopaths believe this list is not exhaustive and the reasons for the headaches and the appropriate treatment may vary from patient to patient. However, the overall advice, widely applicable, is that a healthy fit individual should not have headaches so keep up your exercising routine and eat well.

Wishing you all a healthy and headache free 2019!