Headaches
Our Headache and Migraine Treatments
What types of headaches do we treat at New Body — New Mind?
At New Body — New Mind, we successfully treat muscular (tension) headaches, cervicogenic headaches, and TMJ headaches using primarily manual therapy and some physical therapy modalities. Hypnotherapy is also proven to be an effective headache and migraine treatment in patients of all ages. Many of our patients opt to include hypnosis in their headache treatment plan.
Migraine headaches are neurological in nature, so technically they should not respond to the protocols established for treatment of muscular / myofascial headaches. However, many migraine patients also complain of chronic muscle tension in the neck and shoulder region and often have a persistent, low-grade tension headache in addition to episodic migraine attacks. It is our experience that once we successfully treat these patients’ tension headaches, the frequency of their migraine attacks is significantly reduced and migraine attacks become shorter and less intense.
What is our headache treatment protocol?
Tension headaches, most cervicogenic headaches and TMJ headaches are caused by trigger points in chronically tight neck, shoulder and face muscles.
Read more about myofascial trigger points and headache causes.
If tight muscles are the reason that you feel pain, it is logical that the goal of treatment should be the loosening of the involved muscles and release of the myofascial trigger points located in these muscles. Similarly, if the problem originates in the structures of the neck, all structural neck issues will need to be resolved in order to successfully treat your headaches. And this is exactly what we do in the first phase of our headache treatment.
The primary treatment modality in the first phase of our headache protocol is manual therapy. We may use ultrasound to either prepare muscles for manipulation (continuous ultrasound) or to control inflammation and swelling in the tissues and reduce pain (pulsed ultrasound).
Once the head pain is resolved we move to the second, more active phase of headache treatment, during which we teach you what to do on your own to ensure that you will remain headache-free.
What is the second phase of our headache treatment?
The specifics of the second phase of treatment depend on the original cause(s) of your head pain.
For example, if your headaches were caused by muscle tightness resulting from poor posture, we need to teach your body how to assume and maintain optimal posture in upright positions. This requires not only body awareness training, but also strengthening of any weak stabilizing or postural muscles and developing their endurance to maintain the correct posture all the time. Typically, the muscles that need strengthening are core muscles and the muscles between your shoulder-blades, because their weakness causes over-activation of your neck muscles with any functional activities (especially those involving the use of the upper extremities).
If your body tends to tighten up in response to daily stressors, we may need to teach you how to appropriately manage stress and anxiety through the use of self-hypnosis. (If appropriate, hypnotherapy can be added either in the first phase of treatment or once physical treatment is completed.)
During the second stage of our headache treatment protocol, we keep monitoring your symptoms and continue using manual therapy techniques as needed to manage occasional flare-ups.
Throughout the process, you are an active participant in all decisions related to your treatment and we make sure that the plan of care we design together is not only clinically appropriate, but also aligned with your personal preferences. We review your responses to treatment on a regular basis and make adjustments to the plan of care as needed.
The ultimate goal is the complete and permanent resolution of your headaches and any associated symptoms, so that you can return to full function.
Teresa Sienkiewicz is a tremendously knowledgeable manual therapist, who is totally committed to her patients. To say that she changed my life is an understatement. Prior to working with Teresa I had suffered from severe headaches for over 30 years, during which time I had seen a whole range of doctors and health care professionals, but none of the treatments I tried were successful, until I met Teresa. Teresa was the first and the only person who offered a treatment that worked. I have now lived headache-free for almost two years! I would highly recommend treatment with Teresa to anyone suffering from headaches.
I was referred to Teresa by my doctor for treatment of a head and neck injury that resulted in migraine-like headaches. I could not work out because any exercise was causing severe migraines. I found Teresa’s treatments to be WAY more beneficial to me than any other treatments that I tried before. With Teresa’s treatments, my headaches resolved – I have not needed to come back and I am able to work out vigorously every day. Teresa is very knowledgeable in her field, and I would most definitely recommend her to others.
I am a competitive wrestler and a very active person during the off-season. I started having a lot of pain in my jaw and head, to the point that I had to avoid physical workouts for fear of the pain getting worse. Specialized doctors offered treatments that gave little to no relief. I was so lucky that a year or so later I was referred to Teresa. Since I started treatment with Teresa, I have been able to maintain my vigorous workouts and wrestling sessions with very little or no headaches. I attribute my progress to Teresa’s help, and I feel fortunate that I found her. Teresa knows what she is doing: see her! Aside from the fact that she is good at what she does, she is also really personable.
Before starting work with Teresa, I suffered from headaches for many years. She clearly knows what she is doing and I’ve seen tremendous improvement during the time I’ve seen Teresa. And while there is still work to be done (I needed to stop the treatment because I moved out of the country for a year), I expect nothing but a positive outcome. I would most definitely recommend Teresa to anyone I know suffering from headaches. She’s a true professional!
Teresa at New Body – New Mind helped me resolve chronic headaches and TMJ pain. Teresa is professional and results-driven, but at the same time she is compassionate and caring. She is passionate about her work and her intellectual curiosity, problem-solving skills, and ability to think outside the box are unparalleled. In addition to providing a relief from headaches and TMJ pain, Teresa helped me understand my condition and taught me what to do in my daily life to remain pain-free. I highly recommend her to anyone in need of treatment of any physical pain.
My entire family is grateful to Teresa for helping me resolve my headaches and return to my healthy and happy self. All my life I had issues with my TMJ, but I was able to function with occasional jaw pain until I started also getting headaches (that happened when I was 27 years old, just after I had my first child). I saw many doctors and tried many medications and finally my neurologist diagnosed me with tension headaches, but he said that he could not do anything for it, other than prescribing muscle relaxants and antidepressants. I was devastated. I did not know how I would live my life like that!
I decided to try acupuncture and chiropractic treatments, but my headaches were still there. Then a person from my church told me about Teresa. When I saw Teresa first time, she easily found tender spots in my neck and explained to me what trigger points were and how these points were causing my headaches. She also evaluated my jaw and found trigger points in the muscles inside my mouth. Some of these muscles were also sending pain to my head. Everything Teresa was describing sounded exactly what I had been experiencing. I couldn’t believe that I found somebody who not only understood me, but also was able to treat me.
Our manual therapy treatments were very effective and within 4 months I was virtually free of pain. In addition to seeing Teresa, at her recommendation, I also started working with a dentist who made a day and night splint for me. About two months into my treatment I also did hypnosis, which I think helped me progress faster with manual therapy because it helped me relax all my muscles and sleep better.
I am feeling the way I used to feel before having my first child. My headaches are just a memory and if at any time I feel a pressure in my head (which in the past was always leading to a headache), I just take a few minutes and listen the recordings of my hypnosis sessions with Teresa. Once I relax (and I always relax when doing self-hypnosis), the pressure sensation goes away. I remember that when I started my treatment with Teresa I was hopeful, but I did not believe that I would ever be free of pain (I was hoping to just feel better). And now – I no longer have headaches, I feel happy and enjoy my life.
Teresa has really changed my life. I saw her because I was suffering from debilitating headaches. Teresa truly understood my pain, where it came from, and how it affected me and during her treatments she was finding areas on my face, neck, and shoulders that were triggering my headaches. I no longer suffer from headaches. I have my life back! Teresa truly excels in her field.
I came to Teresa for treatment of severe headaches. I had headaches in high school, but by the time I finished my first year in college my headaches became unbearable. Prior to seeing Teresa I tired different forms of headache treatments, but none of them helped me (even medications had a limited effect). I couldn’t believe that after only a few manual therapy treatments I was starting feeling better. My entire treatment took about 5 months (I was initially coming twice a week, then once week, then every other week), but after that time I was feeling great! I have not seen Teresa for over a year now and I am still feeling good.
I began treatment with Teresa after a traumatic accident. She provided me with a thorough evaluation and a carefully executed treatment plan. Her very knowledgeable and professional care for my headaches and myofacial pain was coordinated with my other doctors. Teresa treats the entire person with great sensitivity and compassion. She gives you the most effective manual therapy and provides the highest level of commitment to your well-being. I owe my more comfortable lifestyle to Teresa and her wonderfully caring approach!
My 13 y.o. son developed headaches. I took him to every doctor, but nothing seemed to help until he started treatment with Teresa. Teresa is great with children – my son absolutely loved her and allowed her work on his neck muscles, which was making a huge difference in his symptoms right from the beginning. My son also did hypnosis to learn how to relax and stop clenching his teeth (I had never thought that children his age experienced life as stressful, but now I am learning that this is quite common now). As a result of Teresa’s treatment my son no longer complains of headaches and seems to be much happier and more relaxed then he was before. We are so grateful to Teresa for that!
I saw my primary care doctor to complain about migraine-like headaches, jaw pain and cracking, and limited ability to open my mouth. My balance was off, and I was experiencing some dizziness. I was pretty miserable. This was especially debilitating for me since I work as an engineer, and I need to be clear-headed to concentrate and do well. My doctor referred me to Teresa for manual treatment. I was completely amazed that there was any kind of manual therapy for this at all, and even more amazed that it worked that well. Thanks to the work with Teresa my pain is now resolved. Teresa is very knowledgeable and well connected to the medical community. I could not recommend her more highly.
I was suffering from severe headaches and neck pain when I met Teresa. Her warm, caring bedside manner and her expertise in pain management / treatment were invaluable. I truly believe that my appointments with her were the reason I recovered as well as I did. I recommend her to anyone seeking relief from headaches and neck pain.
Two years ago I drove nearly two hours each way to see Teresa for treatment of severe headaches and migraines. It was difficult to fit the treatments into my schedule because I run a busy business, but I did not have a choice – I got to the point I was afraid I would not be able to work. I knew that stress played a big part in my headache and migraine symptoms, so once I learned that Teresa was also a hypnotherapist I decided to also engage in hypnotherapy with her. I was amazed that within two months of us working together I was feeling 75% better – my baseline headaches were practically resolved (I just felt a sensation of tightness in my head, but there was no pain) and migraine attacks decreased from 2-3 times a week to just 3 in a month. With continued treatment, my headaches completely resolved and my migraines became sporadic (I had just 2 migraine episodes in the last year).
I am very grateful to Teresa for her help because not only my headaches are gone, but thanks to hypnosis, I am now able to handle hectic job and stressful life in a way that does not harm my body.
I thank God for Teresa! By the time I met Teresa, I had extreme head pain. I had been to several physical therapists before seeing her. From our first appointment I knew I was in the right place. Teresa exuded knowledge and competence, while making me completely at ease. Her treatment could not have been more effective. I traveled far (1.5 hours each way) for my appointments, but it was truly worth it. Teresa is the best!