COLUMN December 2022
H E A LT H M AT T E R S
EDITED BY REBECCA NELSON
Rebecca is founder and Director of Physiotherapy at Apex Clinic and Apex Headache Clinic.
Enjoy the gift of no headaches or migraines at Christmas With the festive season upon us, Rebecca Nelson, Spinal & Headache Physiotherapy Specialist and the founder of Apex Clinic and Apex Headache Clinic, shares her top tips on staying headache and migraine free this Christmas.
December is one of our busiest months at Apex Headache Clinic. For many, the festive season is a time of stress, involving last minute shopping, present delivering and plenty of household chores. While most will attribute their headaches or migraines to the stress of the silly season, the source of the problem is often entirely different. It is not well known that the vast majority of headaches and migraines are in fact triggered from the upper neck region of the spine, even when the sufferer, in many cases doesn’t have any neck pain. Apex Headache Clinic can confirm if the source of your headaches and migraines is your neck, after a thorough assessment.
A course of treatment will then follow, involving our unique regime of manual physiotherapy treatment, only offered at Apex Headache Clinic, called the Nelson Headache Approach™. Our approach has an extremely high success rate in clearing or significantly easing patients of their debilitating headaches or migraines. It is our high success rate and medical model of treatment that encourages patients from all over Ireland and the UK to come to us for treatment. Whilst we receive many referrals from consultant neurologists, pediatricians and GPs, patients can refer themselves.
and/or migraines in the majority of cases. The Apex Sleepwell Pillow™ is available to purchase from reception in our Stormont based clinic or from our website – www.apexheadacheclinic. co.uk
Apex Headache Clinic’s survival guide for taking the headache or migraine out of Christmas;
Avoid heavy lifting
Resist the urge to sit in front of the TV all day
Prolonged periods of sitting in the same position often leads to a stiff neck, triggering headaches or migraines in the process. Break up those box set marathons with movement breaks. As little as a brisk walk for 5 to 10 minutes is all that is required to help to keep your neck from stiffening up. Avoid heavy lifting such as carrying heavy shopping bags, which can excessively load the upper neck region and trigger headaches or migraines. Instead, choose a trolley rather than a basket and minimize the lifting of heavy loads.
Choose your pillow carefully
Soft or flat pillows can be a major contributing factor for triggering headaches and migraines as well as triggering neck pain and stiffness. Apex Headache Clinic are fighting the war against poor pillows with our own, custom-made orthopedic pillow collection, which are clinically proven to reduce neck pain, headaches
Wine Consumption
Be careful when it comes to wine consumption, as even in small quantities, wine can trigger headaches or migraines severely. Spirits and cocktails with pure fruit juice are much less of a trigger, and ensure you
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balance alcohol drinking with water to keep hydrated.
Frequent Medication
When a headache or migraine strikes, many people reach for painkillers in the hope of a little relief. However, too frequent medication can actually make them worse so limit taking tablets to the worst two or three days of any week and avoid taking codeine. A heat pack can provide short term relief and ice is not recommended.
Tis the season to be headache-free
If you suffer headaches or migraines, help is at hand. There may be a cure waiting for you here. Book an initial assessment and treatment today with one of our Headache Physiotherapy Specialists at Apex Headache Clinic and take the headache out of your Christmas. Gift vouchers are available to purchase, by calling into our Belfast based clinic or by phoning our Reception on 028 9048 4153.
Merry Christmas and a happy, headache-free New Year from the Team at Apex Clinic!
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