Headaches and migraines are very common and can occur for different reasons. Tight muscles and fascia in the head and neck are often overlooked as the cause but we identify them during a Physical Therapy session. These can be referred to as tension headaches. Sometimes the patterns of the headache and migraine follow a specific pattern for where the pain is felt and corresponds to a dysfunctional muscle.
For example, pain felt around an eye and temple could be related to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Migraines at the base of the skull may be from the suboccipital muscle group. To ease the tension related to these symptoms, a special type of manual therapy can help.
Myofascial release uses direct and indirect pressure on the connective tissue to stretch and release the tension. It uses gentle hand placement around the tight points and held for seconds to a few minutes.