A Stretch To Keep Chronic Tension Headaches Away
You know the feeling - you're hard at work at your computer when you notice the back of your neck tightening up. You know from experience this tightness is warning you that another tension headache is coming.
But you don't have to get a tension headache. Just do a quick little stretch and you'll head off that headache with ease.
It's a simple, behind-the-back stretch. It can be done sitting or standing.
If you're going to sit, make sure you have a chair with backing that comes halfway up your back.
Hook your arms over the back of the chair and pull your shoulder blades together (if you're standing, assume the military position: head up, shoulders back and stomach tight).
As you do this, make sure you stick your chest out. As this is very important, you should exaggerate a little bit - and make sure you keep you head up, too.
Pull your shoulder blades together until you feel a pull in your shoulder joints. Don't go overboard on this. You don't want to cause any pain.
Now hold this stretch for three full minutes (don't cheat and quit early the length of this stretch is very important).
At the end of this stretch, you should feel your back muscles loosen a bit. You may even feel a warm rush of blood up the back of your neck.
Take breaks throughout the day to perform this stretch - it will prevent tension headaches!
Moist Heat
Moist heat, like a damp towel heated in a microwave, or a microwavable heat pack, can do wonders to get rid of a tension headache. It works by increasing blood flow to the back of the head.
If you've got chronic tension headaches, it supplies blood to the back of the head by way of auxiliary blood vessels, as the primary blood vessels are most likely partially pinched off due to muscle spasms in the neck, shoulders and/or upper back.
It also helps loosen up tight muscles, which relieves this pinching of primary blood vessels somewhat.
I also recommend using moist heat before and after our soft-tissue treatment, which is the cornerstone of our "How to Get Permanent Relief From Chronic Tension Headaches" program. The reason is that moist heat will loosen up the muscles to be treated, making for a more effective session.
And using it afterward helps aid recovery of the muscles.
The great thing about moist heat is you can use it as often as you like.
Unfortunately, it only addresses the symptoms...
- it does nothing to get rid of scarred down muscle spasms
- but it does address symptoms holistically.
For more information on how to get rid of tension headaches.
Best of Health,
Margie “The Arthritis Lady”
This article is only for information and does not take the place of medical advice. It mainly gives you a starting place to explore what is best for you. I agree with everything in these articles, but it is up to you to make your own decisions.