August 13, 2017
12 Self-Help Strategies for Headaches
Headaches can cause various negative effects to all parts of daily living including emotional, physical and more. There are many different types of headaches. Some include migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches and cervicogenic headaches (originating from the cervical spine). To help you find some relief before you can make it into your Chiropractor, here are some great self-help strategies that can help to alleviate the pressure of your headache.1. Trigger point
Trigger point is the most common cause of tension headache. web of thumb push against upper eyebrow use both of your thumb push against base of your skull gently upward, so you feel the pressure at the back head, repeat when needed. Use both hand finger tip apply gentle pressure around your head. Push gently into sinus (sinus block is one of the most common trigger for tension and migraine headache.
2. Ice
Apply ice or heat pack at back of neck or head -research shows that warm temperature can relax tense muscle and ice can deactivate the nerve sensation which cause your headache.3.Walking
Take a walk – Even a 5-10 mins walk outside of office or around the house and get some fresh air into your body can help you relief headache. When brain lack of sufficient oxygen, headache will occur afterwards.4. Chill out
Take a break- grab a cup of water from your busy schedule, go to a quiet and dark environment take a sit and close your eye.Or lie on the couch of 10 mins let your tension release.5. Supplements
Intaking supplement regularly- Magnesium has great effect on reduce migraine and tension headache which also relax general whole body muscle tension. Herbal supplement such as Vitamin B2, fevernew, Butterbur are widely used herbal essence for headache.6. Diet
Dietary advice- record your own food diary for one week and try to find out the food, ingredient or smell which can possibly cause headache. Keeping food diary is great way to prevent headache triggers in the future. Research showed salad, banana, bread, yogurt, potatoes are typical food has proven to help headache.
7. Scent and Smells
Aromatherapy and essential oils- Lavender essential has high concentration of esters which functions a good way in terms of antiinflammatory. Lavender odour provides relaxing smell helps reduce headache before night bed time. Peppermint essential oil contains ingredient menthol, which helps relaxing and easing intensity of headache.8. Stretch
Stretching- For people who has tight neck and shoulder muscle, it is essential for them to take a stretch every 1-1.5 hours. Bring your head towards opposite armpit and use the other hand to apply gentle pressure until you feel stretch, hold in position for 30 seconds until you feel relief. Repeat when needed.9. Drink
Keep yourself hydrated- when your body lack of water, your brain tissue start shrink and cause you suffering headache. When water volume drops in the body it decreases oxygen in the brain. So it is crucial to have at least 250 ml water daily every 15 to 20 mins to keep yourself hydrated while you studying, working and any occasion.10. Heat
Take warm bath- warm temperature will helps you unwind your brain and relax whole body muscle. You can put essential oil you like into the bath to further enhancing the pleasure in bath.11. Coffee
Drink caffeinated beverage- study has proven that small amount of caffeine can help with headache and enhance the effectiveness of painkillers (Panadol, aspirin). However, be careful do not intake excessive amount of caffeine can induce withdrawal of headache later on during the day.12. Massage
Massage therapy- Remedial massage is a great way to alleviate your tension and symptoms of headache.
