5 Ways to Reduce Tension Headaches

In this blog we want to explain five ways you can reduce tension headaches.

The first way is to stretch your occipital muscles. These are the muscles in the very back of your head. So for this one, you're going to take your thumb and index, push at the back of your head, and then you can stretch to either side, back and forth, and we are trying to stretch those muscles right at the back of your head.

The second way is to take deep breaths. Just taking a few minutes a day breathing all the way in, breathing all the way out, and focusing on your breath, that can reset your accessory muscles, which are the muscles that help you to breathe, and that can reduce tension that can cause posterior headaches.

Our third way is to create more neck extension. So that would be bringing your head and neck back so that you are looking up at the ceiling. We can also get that extension with the cervical orthosis pillow. With this wedge shaped pillow you put it right behind your neck and your head and lean back onto it. The cervical orthosis pillows are something that I always have in stock in the office since so many of my patients can benefit by using one. Another way you can achieve that extension in your neck is by wrapping up a bath towel and putting that behind your neck. You can try this out at home as well.

Our fourth way is with ice packs. So just icing for 10 minutes can help a lot with the tension headaches. And for this, you want to take two ice packs, one at the base of your skull at the back of your head, the other one on your forehead, and then you are going to lay back onto those and leave them there for 10 minutes.

The fifth way is magnesium supplements. Even certain ER departments now are prescribing magnesium for patients with headaches.

If you need more help with headaches, we offer chiropractic as well as massage therapy to reduce tension and reduce those tension headaches. Read more about tension headaches here: https://www.kauffmanchiropractic.com/tension-headaches