5 tips to eliminate chronic headaches

Life is demanding. Stress, emails, phone calls, text messages, kids, spouse and co-workers making demands on your time. All of a sudden you realize that you don’t remember the last time that you didn’t have a headache. Yikes!! How did it get so bad? When did it get so bad?

If you are one of the up to 80% of Americans that suffer from headaches brought on by stress you are not alone. These headaches, also called tension headaches are typically felt like a band around the forehead that travels down into the back of the next and sometimes into the shoulders. Women are twice as likely as men to experience these types of headaches.

Major contributors to tension headaches include:

~ Emotional or mental stress
~ Poor posture
~ Heavy lifting
~ Decreased caloric intake
~ Poor Posture
~ Lack of Sleep
~ Overexertion

Let’s face it, not your preference, but sometimes a Tylenol or Ibuprofen is necessary to get through your day. Chronic use of these pain killers can lead to digestive disorders, ulcers, heartburn and decreased nutritional absorption. Who wants that?!?!?

Good news is there is a lot you can do to help eliminate chronic headaches. Knowing what triggers your headaches is a good place to start. Are you especially tired when they come on? Have you been at the computer for hours? What has your food intake looked like for the day? Everyone is different and everyone is going to have different triggers. Although you (probably) can’t avoid being on the computer or change what time you have to be up for work, there is a lot you can do to make sure you are winning the battle against chronic headaches.

Water

Water helps your muscles stay supple and relaxed. When you are dehydrated your muscles look and feel a bit like beef jerky, tense and unyielding. Drinking about half your body weight in ounces every day or until your urine is clear will help muscles stay fluid and adaptable to demands.

Relaxation

No, this does not mean zoning out in front of the TV. Relaxation is about basking in nothing-ness. No TV, no computer, no emails, no phone. Take a bath, meditate, go for a walk; quite time with yourself is priceless. Make time everyday for some kind of nothing-ness. Even if it is only 10 or 15 minutes, it is quite possibly the most important thing you can do. You make time to shower; to brush your teeth, relaxation is just important. Talk to anyone that makes time for this every day and they will only speak of the tremendous benefits of their quiet time. For information on meditation click here.

Stretching

Tense muscles are sometimes quite literally screaming for attention. Taking a few minutes a couple of times a day can do wonders for avoiding headaches. Stretching can also be combined with your relaxation time. Look at that, multitasking for relaxation and health!! Stay posted for some great videos on stretching for chronic headaches!!

Eyestrain

Even a slight change in your vision can cause tremendous strain. Getting your eyes checked regularly and updating your prescription should you already wear glasses or contacts can literally get rid of a headache over night!!

One more common cause of eyestrain is being on the computer, watching TV or using the screen on your smart phone for too long. Make sure you are taking a break from any of these activities at least twice per hour. There are many “exercises” you can do to help strengthen your eyes and reduce eyestrain.

Exercise

Exercise, especially yoga and Pilates can help to improve posture, strengthen weak muscles and reduce stress. Often the last thing you want to do when you have a headache is workout. Begin with a gentle yoga class, often called yin yoga or restorative yoga. This gentle yoga practice releases endorphins in the system, naturally reducing pain and stretching muscles and connective tissue to help create longer lasting results. As you continue to feel better and better working your way to more challenging classes will help to build the long term strength you need.


There is truly nothing more important than taking care of you! You are a better friend, a better spouse, a better parent, a better everything when you are taking care of yourself first.

Give yourself some time to feel the results of your work. Water, Relaxation, Stretching, Eyestrain and Exercise may take a bit longer than a pain killer to kick in, but you will see long lasting results with nothing but positive results!