Kelos Physical Therapy

Home
Kelos Physical Therapy

I help those with chronic migraines and headaches achieve more pain-free days so they can return to

23/07/2025

Rethinking Exercise for Migraine: Finding the Right Approach

We discuss how everyone with migraine can exercise, and that the problem may be a too narrow definition of what exercise is. We explore how even just 2 minutes of intentional movement per day can be beneficial, and the importance of finding an exercise plan that works with your migraine, not against it.

17/07/2025

You are not a failure for struggling to exercise with migraine!

If you keep “falling off,” it’s not because you’re lazy. Real barriers get in the way.

Common barriers I hear every week:
⏰ Not enough time
🤯 Worried exercise will trigger a migraine attack
❓ Not sure what to do or how long to do it
💸 No gym membership or equipment
😣 Tried before and symptoms got worse

You’re not alone in feeling this way. These are common concerns, and they are addressable.

The good news? There is a better way.

By creating clarity around the problem and building a plan that works for you, exercise can become less stressful and more doable.

That means:
✔️ Starting small instead of going all-in
✔️ Choosing movements that fit your life (and your migraine!)
✔️ Building confidence with clear, realistic steps

When we identify the barrier and build a solution that fits your life, exercise becomes more consistent and more successful.

👉 What barriers are making exercise hard for you?
Comment below!

I’d love to hear your experience.

16/07/2025

🧠 “Just exercise 3x/week for 30 minutes.” - Doctor

If you’ve been told that as a person with migraine…I'm sorry.

Being told to “just exercise” with migraine is like being handed a map… with no compass or instruction where to go!

You're lost before you even start.

Here’s why that advice often fails:

It’s vague. It’s overwhelming. It doesn’t help if movement triggers attacks!

And it’s not built for YOUR nervous system.

Over 50% of people with migraine have fear or anxiety around physical activity.

You’re not lazy. You’re not weak.
You just haven’t been given the right starting point.

Here’s what works instead:
✔️ Start small (even just 10 minutes)
✔️ Build a plan based on your body
✔️ Learn how to adjust if symptoms flare
✔️ Combine exercise with breathing, pacing, and education

Exercise isn’t a quick fix.
It’s a long-term tool to build resilience, regulate your nervous system, and reduce attacks.

While exercising consistently sounds easy. It can be a real challenge in everyday life!

Has your doctor told you to “just exercise”… but never helped you actually start?
You’re not alone and I can help.

DM me “start” and let’s talk about the first step.

27/06/2025

🧠 Most PTs don’t specialize in headache care. That means misclassification, generic treatment plans, and little improvement.

Here are 5 signs you’ve found a PT who actually knows headache—and how to spot the difference.

✅ Understands the different types of headache
✅ Uses IHS criteria and skilled evaluation
✅ Performs a hands-on neck, jaw, and head exam
✅ Has a clear track record treating people like you
✅ Works with your medical team, not separately

If your last experience didn’t check these boxes—it’s not your fault. You just didn’t have the right provider.

📲 DM me “HEADACHE HELP” and I’ll either share what we do at Kelos PT or help you find a trusted provider near you.

25/06/2025

🤕 Tried physical therapy for your headache and it didn’t help?
You’re not alone and here’s why.

🧠 A national survey found that physical therapists accurately classified migraine only 41.7% of the time.
Tension-type headache? 32.3%.
Cervicogenic headache? 54.8%.

And only 26.4% of PTs were familiar with the International Headache Society's criteria.

(Source: Dale et al., 2020)

🔁 Inaccurate diagnosis = Inadequate plan of care = Incomplete treatments = lack of improvement.

✅ The right physical therapist knows how to assess, classify, and treat headache disorders with a targeted plan.

If PT didn’t help you in the past, don’t give up. You may have just needed someone who truly understands headache.

📲 Reach out to learn how we approach treatment differently.

23/06/2025

Did you know physical therapy can play a big role in helping manage migraine?
Here are 5 ways a physical therapist can support you if you live with migraine or frequent headaches:

1️⃣ Address neck pain
Neck pain shows up in over 70% of people with migraine. But not all neck pain is caused by neck dysfunction, and not all neck dysfunction is obvious.

A PT can do a thorough exam to find out if your neck muscles or joints are contributing to your headaches, and design a plan to treat those issues safely.

2️⃣ Pain neuroscience education

Understanding how migraine works, what pain means during an attack, and how your personal triggers affect your threshold is powerful.

A PT can help you make sense of it all, so you feel more confident managing pain, recognizing early warning signs, and taking better care of yourself day to day.

3️⃣ Improve sensory processing

Migraine is a sensory processing disorder: touch, light, sound, motion. It’s all involved!

A PT can use specific techniques and exercises to help your brain and body handle these stimuli better. This can mean less dizziness, better visual tracking, and fewer attacks triggered by sensory overload.

4️⃣ Support lifestyle changes

Lifestyle tweaks, like better sleep, gentle movement, and stress management are key non-pharmacological ways to prevent and manage attacks.

A PT can break these down into clear, doable steps and keep you accountable, so you don’t feel alone in making healthy changes.

5️⃣ Safe, customized exercise

Regular exercise is linked to fewer attacks and better quality of life — but starting (or sticking with) it can feel impossible when you’re worried about triggering pain.
A PT can design a guided program just for you: the right intensity, right type, and right pace to help you build confidence and move without fear.

✨ If any of these surprise you or if you want to know how this could help you personally drop a 👍 or share with someone who needs to see this!

19/06/2025

How much neck & shoulder strength training do you really need to help reduce headache days? 🤔

👉 Research shows that just ONE HOUR PER WEEK of targeted strength training for your neck & shoulders can cut headache frequency and intensity by up to 50% — no matter how you break up that hour.

You can do:
✅ 1 session of 60 min
✅ 3 sessions of 20 min
✅ 9 sessions of 7 min
… and get similar benefits!

What matters most? Doing it consistently, with good technique, and with a bit of guidance early on.

💬 Curious if this could help you?

Drop a comment or 📩 send me a message. I’ll help you get started!

18/06/2025

Could a strength program help you finally get on top of your neck pain and headaches?

Here are 5 signs it might be exactly what you need:

1️⃣ Signs of neck instability (feeling like your head is heavy or hard to control)
2️⃣ Multiple tight, tender spots in your upper shoulders and neck
3️⃣ A constant feeling of tightness, stiffness, or ache at the base of your skull (your suboccipitals)
4️⃣ Neck or shoulder pain that starts before your headache or migraine attack
5️⃣ A history of whiplash or other neck injury

👉 Research shows targeted neck and shoulder strengthening can significantly reduce headache frequency, in some studies by nearly 50%!

If you nodded along to these, you don’t have to keep guessing.
💬 Drop a comment or 📩 DM me. I can help you get started with a plan that fits you.

16/06/2025

5 Signs Your Neck Might Be Contributing to Your Headaches
(and what it means if you’re nodding along to some of them 👇)

Neck instability doesn’t always look dramatic. It can show up as fatigue, the need to constantly reposition, or even the urge to crack your neck.

These signs can point to underlying weakness or poor motor control in the muscles that support your head.

And the good news?! These issues are treatable with the right approach.

💬 Which one sounds most like you?

📩 If this hits home, send me a message. I can help you figure out if this is contributing to your headache episodes and what to do about it.

13/06/2025

🙋‍♀️ I hear this all the time from my clients. If that’s been you, comment “ME”!

For those with migraine, how your body reacts to exercise can vary for many reasons.

But for most people we can find ways to engage in physical activity in a way that makes you feel confidence and successful, while reducing the risk of migraine attacks!

12/06/2025

🧠💪 How to Start Exercising with
Migraine When It Feels Overwhelming

Starting an exercise routine can feel daunting,
especially if you’re managing migraine. But it doesn’t
have to be! Here are 3 simple steps to help you get
moving:

1️⃣ Set a Goal
Ask yourself, “What do I want to achieve in 3 months?”
✔️ Walking 3 days a week for 30 minutes?
✔️ Exercising daily for 20 minutes?
✔️ Running a 5K?

Your goal gives you direction and something to work
toward.

2️⃣ Start Where You Are
Your goal isn’t your starting point! For example, if you
want to run a 5K, don’t go out and run the full distance
on Day 1. Migraine makes gradual progression even
more important—sudden changes in exertion can
trigger attacks.

✔️ Choose a starting point that’s challenging but
manageable.
✔️ Focus on building up strength and resilience over
time.

3️⃣ Schedule It!
If it’s not on your calendar, it’s easy to skip. Treat your
exercise like any other part of your treatment
plan—medications, meals, sleep, and relaxation.

✔️ Make it a non-negotiable part of your routine.
✔️ This is an investment in your health and well-being.

💡 The Key:
Start with small, achievable steps and stay consistent.
Over time, exercise can become one of your best tools
for managing migraine.

Feeling stuck or overwhelmed? Send me a DM—I can
help you get started with a plan that works for YOU! 💬

11/06/2025

🧠 How to Identify and Address Headache Triggers During Exercise 💪

Exercise is often seen as a trigger for migraine, but it’s not always as simple as it seems. If an attack occurs during or shortly after exercise, we might consider it
exercise-induced, but in many cases, other factors are at play.

Here’s what I’ve found when working with patients who believe exercise causes their attacks:

1️⃣ Understanding the Migraine Threshold

Exercise is a physical stressor, and while it can provide long-term benefits for migraine management, it can also push someone closer to their migraine threshold. Many people don’t account for the other stressors that come with exercise, such as:

✔️ Travel to and from the gym.
✔️ The environment—bright lights, loud sounds, or strong smells like sweat or cleaning solutions.

These additional factors can combine with the physical stress of exercise, tipping someone over their threshold and leading to an attack.

2️⃣ Dehydration and Low Blood Sugar

Two of the most common triggers wrongly associated with exercise itself are dehydration and low blood sugar. Exercise naturally depletes both, and if they aren’t addressed, they can easily trigger an attack.

✔️ Hydrate before, during, and after exercise.
✔️ Have a light, migraine-friendly snack to maintain blood sugar levels before working out.

3️⃣ Planning and Scheduling Exercise
To prevent triggering an attack, it’s crucial to plan and schedule exercise intentionally:

✔️ Choose activities and environments that minimize
triggers (e.g., low-intensity walks outdoors instead of a
crowded gym).
✔️ Pay attention to timing—exercise at a time of day
when your migraine threshold is higher.
✔️ Build in recovery and account for other life
stressors that may combine with exercise to push you
over your threshold.

🔑 The Takeaway:
Exercise isn’t inherently a migraine trigger. With the right planning and mindfulness of your migraine threshold, you can make movement a safe and effective part of your management plan.

Address

Opening Hours

Monday	08:00 - 18:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 18:00
Thursday	08:00 - 18:00
Friday	12:00 - 16:00

Website

https://www.kelosphysicaltherapy.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kelos Physical Therapy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Kelos Physical Therapy:

Shortcuts

Address
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Practice
Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic?

Country:

City: