28 Jun Brilliant solution for headache behind the eyes

I had no idea this was a specialization within physical therapy.

On a regular basis, I have these weird headaches. Behind one or both eyes.
And there isn’t a painkiller that then helps.

Last year, I discovered that when I use my knuckles on my forehead, and rub (very) hard, my headache slowly dissolves after 30 minutes or so. Very painful in the moment, and resulting in many small bruises the next day.
So, maybe not the way to go in the long run …

I think it was 2 years ago when a colleague shared she had seen a physical therapist for her jaw. At the time I didn’t think anything of it.
Until last week. No idea exactly why, but I googled the place she went to. And saw the words jaw and headache in one sentence. And then it clicked. And I made an appointment. Fast.

Apparently, our lower jaw is supposed to relax when we’re not eating …
And I have my upper and lower molars ALWAYS touching each other.
It’s not like I’m clenching my jaw. There is just no space between them.

Which is equivalent to continuous tension.
Ever tried to hold one arm straight and at shoulder height for 8 hours?
Nope. That’s not what muscles are built for.

From our upper jaw muscles, there are connections to behind our ears, our skull.
Including to the fascial muscles behind your eyes …
See where I am getting at?

She massaged my cheek muscles. Yep, really. Simultaneously from the inside and outside. Heck, that was painful.
And by pushing one or more pressure points / ‘landmarks’ on the muscle, she could trigger my headache.

Stunning. Shocking. Or should I say jaw-dropping 😉

So, besides physical therapy, now what?
1  Relax my lower jaw (and tongue) so there is space between my molars. All. The. Time.
2  Massage my cheek, my temples and of course my jaw. Gently. I am not allowed to use my knuckles anymore (what I did, was cause so much pain, it ‘overruled’ the headache, and might even cause inflammation because of all the mini bruises. If I want to use that ‘technique’, I could better ‘kick myself’.)
3  When I eat, make sure I chew on both sides.
4  Take it easy with eating apples, nuts, crackers, granola, i.e. anything hard. Just to give my jaw muscles a bit of a break. And of course, NO chewing gum.

This specialization is called orofacial physical therapy.

In the Netherlands, there are only 6 people trained per year.
So, if like me, you’d never heard of it, that’s not strange.
AND, if you recognize this kind of ‘behind-the-eyes’ headache, or know someone who does, please share this post.