How can physical therapy help manage headaches?

By relaxing the tense muscles that commonly accompany tension and migraine headaches, certain types of physical therapy may provide relief. Your physical therapist may teach you daily neck and shoulder exercises you can do on your own or use devices and techniques aimed at relaxing muscles. These might include the following:

• ultrasound, which uses a device that emits sound waves that penetrate the skin and warm muscle tissue
• electrical nerve stimulation, which employs a battery-powered device to send electrical signals to underlying nerves
• traction, which involves using a special device to stretch a tight muscle, usually in the neck
• myofascial release, which involves performing a series of massage-like techniques to stretch tight muscles