06 Jan Woke up with a sore neck and headache  after the week long Christmas and New Year’s Celebrations

Been waiting for your “hangover headache” to pass but it’s been lingering on for days now

If you answered Yes to the above statements, then you may well have Cervicogenic Headaches rather than “Hangover Headaches”. While it’s still the New Year’s Day Holiday period, you may be finding yourself struggling to find an Expert Headache and Migraine Specialist Physiotherapist who is able to help you relief your Cervicogenic Headache.

So here are 3 Home Strategies that you can try out at home until you can get an appointment with a Headache and Migraine Specialist Physiotherapist.

1. Heat Packs to your neck and shoulder muscles to relax your neck and shoulder muscles. Often people have existing chronic muscle tightness in their neck and shoulders as a result of poor posture in sitting or standing. Placing a heat pack wrapped in a tea towel for 10-15 mins around their neck and shoulders, 2-3 times a day can help ease muscle tightness to reduce the sore neck and headaches.

2. Massage the muscles on the base of your skull at the back of your head. The small muscles and ligaments around the base of the skull pulls on the first 3 joints of the neck, which can cause misalignment of the first 3 neck joints causing headaches and migraines.

3. Deep Neck Muscle Exercises to release the tension and stiffness in the first 3 neck joints. Lying on your back, using only a very thin pillow so that your ear is in line with your shoulder. Push your head into the pillow without nodding your head, effectively doing a chin tuck. Hold the chin tuck for 30 seconds and then relax. You should feel that you are gently applying pressure to the first neck joint in the base of your skull and neck. Repeat 3 times and complete 5 sets. Your headaches should ease as you complete the cycle of exercise.

If your headaches and sore neck persists, the best thing to do is to reach out to My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our Expert Headache and Migraine Physiotherapists to find out how we can help you overcome your headaches.