Hermione Halman

In my last post, we discussed how headaches can come in all shapes and sizes and for many reasons. Headaches can form from neck discomfort and ‘trigger points’ in muscles that refer pain into the head, stress, jaw pain or the sinuses and can be hard to manage. Along with osteopathy and some of the tips listed below, I hope that you will be able to manage the pain a little easier.

Just a reminder that if you experience any of the following symptoms, please seek medical attention. 

Sudden onset of severe headache	Headache following head trauma
New headache in the elderly	Cognitive changes
Vomiting without nausea	Marked neck stiffness and rash
You are taking blood-thinning medication	History of cancer

 

See below for some helpful tips and advice. 

*NOTE: This is very generic self-management advice, however, if any of the below exercises cause pain, please don’t do them and book to see your osteopath, they will be able to give more specific advice

1. Water

Dehydration is a common cause of headaches, particularly in the warmer months.

It is important to try and drink at least 2 litres each day, to ensure your body is sufficiently hydrated. 

Top tip: Add fruit to your water to make it taste more interesting. 

2. Sleep

Headaches can also develop as a sign of tiredness if people haven’t had enough sleep. This can also be a factor in stress and tension headaches. 

Humans require at least 8 hours of sleep every night. This, of course, varies between individuals and some find this hard to achieve. 

Tips for improved sleep:

Turn off electricals up to an hour before you go to sleep. The blue light interferes with the circadian rhythm reducing sleep efficiency.

Try to go to bed earlier. 

Light a relaxing candle or use some essential oils such as lavender or chamomile to induce relaxation. 

Drink water or chamomile tea. 

Follow a guided meditation or take a moment to reflect on the day to clear your mind before sleeping. 

Listen to classical music or relaxing sounds.

Too much sleep can also cause headaches, so try and get into a good sleep routine if possible.

Reducing neck tension:

3. Hot and cold

 Hydrotherapy is a very effective way to reduce tension in musculature. 

Heat is good to allow the circulation to the muscles to help them to relax. 

You can place a warm compress over the area of tension for 5 minutes.

If there is some pain in the neck you could also try hot and cold. 

3 minutes hot, 1 minute cold. Repeat 3 times and end on the cold. This will give a fluctuation of blood flow to the area. Reduce any inflammation and aid in relaxing the general area. 

I advise using a flannel or something similar and using two bowls to easily swap between the two temperatures.

Alternatively, you can use a hot water bottle or bag of peas but please wrap both in a tea towel to avoid marking the skin.

*If you can’t feel the hot flannel after the cold DO NOT increase the temperature, the body will still respond and this prevents marking the skin. 

Simple stretches and exercises

4. Sidebending: 

Sitting on a seat with feet planted, slowly lower your ear towards your shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch. Hold for 5 seconds and slowly return the head to a neutral position. 

Repeat to the other side and repeat 4 times each side.

5. Rotation: 

Sitting on a seat with feet planted, slowly turn the head to look over one shoulder. Hold for 5 seconds then slowly return to neutral. 

Repeat to the other side and repeat 4 times. 

6. Shoulder rolls:

There are several variations of this exercise. You can repeat these 10 times. Try all 3 and see which feels the best for you.

a) Keeping your arms relaxed by your sides, slowly bring your shoulders forward, then up towards your ears and back, making smooth circles.

b)  Resting your hands on your shoulders take both elbows out in front, then up beside your ears and back round.

c) Full arm circles, with the arm outstretched, take the hand in front of you,  up above the head and slowly back round.

You can see more general exercises here.

7. Tennis ball trick

Using a tennis ball, locate an area of tension around the neck or shoulders. Place the tennis ball over the area and gently lean it against a wall. The tennis ball will provide gentle pressure which will stimulate muscle relaxation.

You can slowly bend and stretch the knees, to allow the ball to move over the tense area, which will give a massage effect.

 

For more detailed advice regarding your headaches, please book in with your local osteopath.  

Take care, 

Hermione.