Physical Therapists Can Treat Migraines!

Traditional treatment includes preventative medications, rescue medications, & botox injections. But did you know physical therapy can alleviate your headaches and migraines without medication? 
​​
​How Common Are Headaches/Migraines?
It is estimated at least 39 million Americans live with migraines. 1 in 6 Americans report having a headache in the last year (1).  Research shows that nearly 70% of women who have pelvic pain also experience migraines (2).

Is There Anything I Can Do?
​Stretching neck muscles, especially those that can refer pain to the head, can be helpful to decrease pain, stiffness, and tightness in the muscles contributing to headaches. Stretching the trapezius and suboccipital muscles can be incredibly helpful. Hold the first stretch for 30 seconds, repeating 3 times on each side. Perform the second stretch for 30 seconds, repeating three times. For the last exercise, tuck your chin back and hold for 3 seconds, repeat 10 times. 

How Can Physical Therapy Help?
Physical Therapists can perform dry needling, which is very effective in treating headaches and it has been proven to be just as effective as botox injections (3, 4).

What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a technique that uses thin, flexible, acupuncture needles into the muscle to decrease pain and muscle spasm while increasing blood flow and promoting healing (5). While needles may sound intimidating, most people describe an achy pain when it is inserted into the tight muscle that contributes to their headache pain, but patients are usually pleasantly surprised how gentle it is. 

Is It Safe? 
Yes! Dry needling is very safe. The most common side effect is muscle soreness. Incidences of serious adverse events are incredibly rare. The risk of infection is only 0.014%, for example (6).

How Long Until I Feel Relief?
Most patients report a significant improvement after the first visit or two. We find patients get the most relief when pairing the dry needling with a gentle electrical tingle to calm down the muscles and the nerves.​

---

Real Reviews From Our Patients With Migraines

After suffering from migraines for YEARS, I have finally gotten relief… If you have migraines that stem from your shoulders, neck, or jaw, you need to pay them a visit. I haven’t had a migraine in nearly 3 weeks and that is unheard of for me! - Jennifer G.

​You wouldn't think of a pelvic health clinic to help with headaches but it did it do the trick for me! The dry needling helped my muscles relax and completely relieved my headaches. Taylor G. 

I found Connect and Dr. Megan and have had the most fantastic experience. She is so incredibly knowledgeable and takes every aspect of your health (for me, it’s EDS/POTS/MCAS/migraines) into account with anything she does. I have truly never been in better hands with a PT and wish I had found her sooner! - Sarah B. 

Resources
1. American Migraine Foundation 
2. Karp BI, Sinaii N, Nieman LK, Silberstein SD, Stratton P. Migraine in women with chronic pelvic pain with and without endometriosis. Fertil Steril. 2011 Mar 1;95(3):895-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.11.037. Epub 2010 Dec 10. PMID: 21145540; PMCID: PMC3415219.
3. Gildir S, Tüzün EH, Eroğlu G, Eker L. A randomized trial of trigger point dry needling versus sham needling for chronic tension-type headache. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Feb;98(8):e14520. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000014520. PMID: 30813155; PMCID: PMC6408118.
4.Venancio Rde A, Alencar FG Jr, Zamperini C. Botulinum toxin, lidocaine, and dry-needling injections in patients with myofascial pain and headaches. Cranio. 2009 Jan;27(1):46-53. doi: 10.1179/crn.2009.008. PMID: 19241799.
5. Gattie E, Cleland JA, Snodgrass S. The effectiveness of trigger point dry needling for musculoskeletal conditions by physical therapists: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2017 Mar;47(3):133-49.
6. Witt CM, Pach D, Brinkhaus B, Wruck K, Tag B, Mank S, Willich SN. Safety of acupuncture: results of a prospective observational study with 229,230 patients and introduction of a medical information and consent form. Forsch Komplementmed. 2009 Apr;16(2):91-7. doi: 10.1159/000209315. Epub 2009 Apr 9. PMID: 19420954.
7. Exercise images from www.hep2go.com
8.https://www.chestercountyhospital.org/news/health-eliving-blog/2021/june/10-possible-causes-of-your-migraines
9. https://www.shutterstock.com/search/acupuncture-neck
10. https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/five-stars-rating-vector-icon-gm1006074668-271565905Resources
1. American Migraine Foundation 
2. Karp BI, Sinaii N, Nieman LK, Silberstein SD, Stratton P. Migraine in women with chronic pelvic pain with and without endometriosis. Fertil Steril. 2011 Mar 1;95(3):895-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.11.037. Epub 2010 Dec 10. PMID: 21145540; PMCID: PMC3415219.
3. Gildir S, Tüzün EH, Eroğlu G, Eker L. A randomized trial of trigger point dry needling versus sham needling for chronic tension-type headache. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Feb;98(8):e14520. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000014520. PMID: 30813155; PMCID: PMC6408118.
4.Venancio Rde A, Alencar FG Jr, Zamperini C. Botulinum toxin, lidocaine, and dry-needling injections in patients with myofascial pain and headaches. Cranio. 2009 Jan;27(1):46-53. doi: 10.1179/crn.2009.008. PMID: 19241799.
5. Gattie E, Cleland JA, Snodgrass S. The effectiveness of trigger point dry needling for musculoskeletal conditions by physical therapists: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2017 Mar;47(3):133-49.
6. Witt CM, Pach D, Brinkhaus B, Wruck K, Tag B, Mank S, Willich SN. Safety of acupuncture: results of a prospective observational study with 229,230 patients and introduction of a medical information and consent form. Forsch Komplementmed. 2009 Apr;16(2):91-7. doi: 10.1159/000209315. Epub 2009 Apr 9. PMID: 19420954.
7. Exercise images from www.hep2go.com
8.https://www.chestercountyhospital.org/news/health-eliving-blog/2021/june/10-possible-causes-of-your-migraines
9. https://www.shutterstock.com/search/acupuncture-neck
10. https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/five-stars-rating-vector-icon-gm1006074668-271565905