Headaches can be debilitating. At the Centeno-Schultz Clinic, we are experts at evaluating and treating head and neck pain. Muscle dysfunction can be a major source of head pain and requires evaluation. Tight, dysfunctional muscles in the shoulders and cervical spine often give rise to head pain. In a previous blog, I discussed referred pain. Referred pain is a term used to describe the phenomenon of pain perceived at a site adjacent to or at a site away from the site of injury’s origin.
Tight, poorly functional muscles give rise to pain in common referral patterns. The trapezius and splenius capitus muscles are responsible for referred pain into the head as illustrated below:
Treatment for muscle dysfunction is aimed at restoring normal function through IMS and strengthening through MCU.
