Many of us experience tension headaches on a regular basis and especially during the business of the Christmas season and anticipating what lies ahead in the New Year! Some of the common symptoms of a tension headache are: mild to moderate dull or aching pain, pressure behind the eyes, tightness in neck and shoulders and scalp tenderness. The discomfort from tension headaches is not severe enough to limit your daily activities but over time they can have a negative impact on your quality of life.
Stress, sensitivity to pain, muscle tension, lack of sleep and posture issues are all common triggers of tension headaches. These headaches can last for a couple of hours up to a few days.
There are lifestyle changes you can make to help reduce the number of tension headaches that you experience. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, massage and exercise can be very helpful at alleviating tension headaches. Also trying to find what triggers your tension headaches is a great way to reduce the frequency. For example, foods, smells, skipping meals and dehydration can all lead to that irritating tightness around your head.
Physiotherapy is also a great treatment option for tension headaches. At A Body In Motion Rehabilitation our physiotherapists use a variety of treatments to calm a tension headache and to help you decrease their reoccurrence. If you have tight neck and jaw muscles your physiotherapist may provide stretching, massage or acupuncture to promote relaxation. Your physio can help correct postural dysfunctions that may be causing your tension headaches and will also provide you with a safe, effective exercise program to strengthen your back and neck muscles and improve your range of motion.
Although tension headaches are often not severe or long lasting, they can cause you to feel irritable and exhausted. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, reach out to us and we’ll book you in for an assessment and get you started on your path to alleviating your tension headaches once and for all!
www.nhs.uk/conditions/tension-headaches/