How to help with tension headaches
Do you just cope with tension headaches? Feel like it is something that has been there for so long we have to just deal with it?
There can be several causes as to why we experience headaches. Sometimes it is a stressful day at work, maybe we simply slept funny on our necks or maybe it has been developing over a period of time with our postural alignment.
Some things we may notice is that we feel a tight pulling sensation in our shoulders or notice limited movement in the neck and head.
Our neck is comprised of several muscles, some deep stabilizers, that can become weak overtime without being properly used and some more superficial. When these muscles are not safely taken through their range of motion daily or utilized properly we tend to rely more on the traps (shoulder muscles) which are meant to be phasic (turn on and off) but often we keep them on all day.
Think of the last time you’ve been sitting at your desk all day, how your shoulders felt, probably tight and rigid and the neck felt very limited to the point we had to “POP” those neck bones… yikes! We feel a little release but sooner rather than later we are tight and popping all over again.
We do not have to just cope with this pain and live with headaches. With therapeutic practices we can nourish the neck and shoulders and help them release and move well.
Let’s see if we have a compression issue or tight neck extender muscles.
Find a comfortable seated posture- gently lean your right ear to your right shoulder. What do you feel? Do you feel a pulling on the left side of the neck or a tight knot like feeling in the right corner where the neck is touching the shoulder?
Lateral Neck Extension
This is just one simple test to start to identify where your pain is originating from. Once we can identify the origin of pain we can start to increase safe and healthy movement patterns.
In a therapeutic session we use MFR (myo-fascial release) palpation, gentle stretches and movements to lengthen and strengthen the neck muscles, and stress release tactics to help alleviate tension in the body. As you start to decrease tension and increase lengthening you will start to notice less tension headaches and overall sense of wellbeing. Want to start to learn how to decrease tension headaches and improve posture and neck health? Work with me 1:1 in a therapeutic setting
Also enjoy this cervical spine yoga class to help with tension.
