Guelph Rehab Centre has a unique and very successful treatment program for treating headaches and migraines.
Headaches are most often caused by restricted soft tissue (ie. muscles) that will put pressure on the vessels and entrap the nerves within the soft tissue. Most people don’t associate headaches with an overuse injury, but essentially when the muscles are contracted for long periods at a time they are being overused which will cause injury to occur. An example of this is sitting at a computer desk or driving in the car. “Slouching” and forward head carriage causes the deeper muscles in the neck to be in constant contraction.
Most headaches are a direct result of:
- restricted soft tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament, fascia)
- trigger points (hyper-irritable spots or “knots” within a muscle)
- adhesions/scar tissue
- nerve entrapments
- poor posture
- improper body mechanics
- repetitive strain
We have developed integrated treatment protocols that guide the patient through various stages of recovery from initial assessment to discharge. Our programs integrate 6 key components:
- Manual Therapy (Active Release Therapy, Myofascial Release, Joint Mobilization)
- Modalities (i.e. IFC-interferential current, TENS-transcutaneous electrical neuromuscular stimulation, Ultrasound, Cold Low-Level Laser)
- Acupuncture (IMS-intermuscular stimulation; Dry Needling)
- Postural education and correction
- Active rehabilitation (i.e. customized exercise program)
- Lifestyle/Homecare program
A complete postural assessment and a home care program are implemented to avoid reoccurrences.