Headaches are a pain.
We all get them now and again, but unfortunately for some of us, they can be a regular occurrence…
It’s incredible just how many people tell us that they’ve suffered from headaches. Often, many of our patients even consider them to be a regular part of life.
That’s why things like Ibuprofen and other types of painkillers are such big sellers.
But these medications can only temporarily relieve the symptoms by masking the pain.
What’s most concerning about this is that these recurring headaches may actually be the result of some other underlying problem!
Take a look at this email we received from a new patient last week as an example:
“Hi team,
After reading your neck pain and headaches free report, I wanted to send you an email to see if you could help me!
I’m 48 years old and over the last 6 months, I’ve suffered from some of the worst headaches I’ve ever had.
I sit in front of a computer daily at work for at least 8 hours, for a job that is stressful most of the time.
Recently, I visited my doctor who prescribed me pills to take the pain away… but the pain still exists. All I can feel is a constant tightness and pounding at the front of my head.
I don’t know what to do, or what the cause could be.
Do you guys have any ideas?
Thanks.”
Allison, 48
Of course, there are several things that could be causing Allison’s headaches!
It’s often the case that if someone is suffering from regular episodes of headaches, they haven’t addressed the real, underlying root cause of their pain. And most of the time, it has nothing to do with anything that’s going on in their head!
Many times recurring headaches are the result of tension in the shoulders, jaw, or neck– something that many people aren’t even aware of.
You see, while painkillers are prescribed by a doctor to help take the pain away for a few hours, they aren’t actually doing anything to prevent this pain from coming back and striking out of nowhere in the middle of the day.
Most people are aware that sometimes certain foods- such as cheese, chocolate, and red wine- can bring on a nasty headache. But so can other things. Like hormones, irregular meals, poor hydration, and disrupted sleep.
So what do you do when you try to change all of these things but pounding headaches just won’t go away?
The one thing that most people disregard as a trigger is ‘stress’. We all know stress does many things to our bodies. But where do we feel stress the most?
We feel it as tightness and tension in our neck and shoulder muscles- and all of this tension brings on headaches!
Picture this…
Mornings can often be manic. You’re running around each morning, you’re late, you can’t find your car keys, you’re not prepared for your morning meeting at work and the dog just tracked mud all through the living room… No wonder why you’re stressed!
Add all of those daily stressors, you’ll likely find that at the end of the week, you’ve got a lot of tension around your shoulders.
This is why it’s important to deal with these things daily, without responding to them in a stressful way, so that we can start to prevent headaches and make them occur less and less.
Living with headaches every day? Watch this video to learn some exercises to help relieve headache pain. Click Here.
So what are some things you can do right now to help?
There’s a number of relaxation techniques that can reduce symptoms of stress. Make time for enjoyable activities such as listening to music, reading a book, or doing your favorite exercise.
In addition, set aside time (even if it’s just 10 minutes a day) to practice different relaxation techniques- things like Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, and deep breathing.
At the end of the day, stress can make your head hurt- and a headache can really stress you out! So either way, you’ve got to rein in the stress to reduce the pain.
If you need more tips to ease neck pain and headaches, you can download our free report here instantly which shows you how to ease pain naturally, without needing painkillers.
…OR call or text at 623.486.3333.
Dr, Nick’s greatest passion is seeing his patients recover from injury and return to their activities that bring them joy.
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