How helpful is physical therapy if the pain problem starts in muscles or joints?
There is a group of patients for whom physical therapy is likely to be beneficial and may help to prevent headaches from occurring in the first place. These are patients who suffer headaches with musculoskeletal problems involving the neck and/or jaw. There are two ways that the muscles and joints in these areas can produce pain in the head. The first is called referred pain. The most well-known example of referred pain is a heart attack. Most people know that pain in the chest, left shoulder, and left arm can signal a problem with the heart muscle. This is because when the heart muscle is stressed, the pain experienced can be referred into the arm. This is likely due to the particular way in which the nerves from the arm and the heart travel conjointly up to the brain. Similarly, the muscles and joints of the neck can refer pain into the head. For example, the upper trapezius muscle on the top of the shoulder is frequently problematic in headache patients. This muscle is commonly over
