GUEST SPEAKER - JOHN WILSON - MIGRAINE HEADACHES

 

John Wilson is an Australian Physiotherapy

•        Track and Field, Swim Squads

•        Hospital Orthopaedics

•        Pilates, Strength and Conditioning

•        Sporting Children and Adolescents

•        Dry Needling

•        Watson Headache Certified Practitioner

 

John has access to a range of diagnostic services and orthopaedic and medical consultants. He is able to help find your important diagnosis and plan a treatment pathway based on your diagnosis.

 

John Wilson is one of the few fully certified Watson Headache practitioners in Victoria. He has a clinic in Balwyn and has seen many patients who travel from all parts of Victoria. If you or a friend have migraine troubles, feel free to call his clinic on 98176600.

 

 

A headache can happen for many reasons from dehydration, head trauma or concussion to brain tumours and blood clots. Most of the time headaches are not serious, however if you are experiencing a headache that is constant and never changes position or the headache is severe and feels like the worst headache of your life, then seek medical advice immediately.

 

Cervicogenic headaches are caused by referred pain from the neck. These headaches are more common than you think, and can encompass tension type headaches, headaches behind the eye and migraines. Previous head and neck trauma, such as a car accident or fall, and being hypermobile (learn about hypermobility here), are risk factors for having cervicogenic headaches.

 

 How does your neck cause pain in your head?

The upper vertebrae of the neck are often the cause of cervicogenic headaches. They surround the brain stem. The brain stem is the structure which controls the flow of messages between the brain and the body. It also controls bodily functions such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and consciousness.

 

After neck trauma, an intervertebral disc in the neck can become sensitive and activate the nerves coming out from the neck. These nerves supply small muscles in the neck that attach to the vertebra to allow our neck to move. If these muscles spasm, that can slightly rotate the vertebra. When this occurs, it causes an irritation to the brain stem. This means the brain stem becomes highly sensitive and starts to confuse the pain messages from the brain and where they are coming from. This is why the pain is referred to your head rather than felt in the neck. It can also cause many other symptoms often associated with headaches and migraines including: nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, light sensitivity, as well as sound and sensory disturbances known as auras. Come in to the clinic and one of the physios can explain this process with the help of our 3D model.