CERTAINLY NOT—find cures and strategies on the internet! Because your body is as unique as your thumbprint. 

Find relief from tension headaches with personalized care from Jeevam Therapy—explore how in our latest blog

What are Tension Headaches?

These kinds of headaches affect people of all ages, although they’re the most common type of tension headache in adults and older teens. Generally, it starts at the back of the head and progresses to the top of the head and eyes. Sometimes, you may even feel pain on your face along your jaw and cheeks when experiencing this kind of headache. It’s also possible to experience them when feeling anxious or depressed. Many of us are most likely experiencing various emotions these past few years due to COVID-19. These can be so debilitating to the point that your quality of life is negatively affected. Dealing with them can be isolating and leave you feeling exhausted and unable to concentrate on your work or your family.

We can give you some strategies and key information about tension headaches and how to gain pain relief from them so they don’t interrupt your day! 

How can you get relief from tension and headaches?

There are many ways you can gain relief from tension headaches. Finding the source of your pain is the key! Consult us to pinpoint your source! Then get guidance on the relief strategies. 

One of the generalized strategies is to take a 1–5 minute break from your routine periodically, every ½–3 hours, and set a timer! Press your hands into the muscles of your face, neck, and upper back area. You will find points that feel good to massage those areas that are your tender points. Massaging over those areas may hurt, but it’ll feel good afterward. You‘ll feel a sense of relief and relaxation. 

• Doing some deep diaphragmatic breathing will help release the tension.
• Calming your mind with some happy thoughts 
• Warm compress with  your favorite scent will be soothing
• A tolerably hot shower will help open the nasal passage to breathe better and relax the tense muscles.
•  You may try alternating the water temperature between tolerable-hot to tepid. This is called a ‘contrast bath’ technique. It can be applied to any painful body parts for immediate pain relief. 
• Massage yourself (with or without using any instrument) or by masseuse. If there is no relief after one session, then see us or your healthcare provider to understand why. 
• Prevent eye strain by taking frequent breaks from your computer during the workday. Looking into an autostereogram or 3D image is an excellent strategy to reduce eye strain. Try reading scripts or looking at objects at a distance 
• Take a sip of water periodically with a set timer if you think you aren’t drinking enough! Staying hydrated is one way to cut back on the number of headaches. Everybody’s daily water intake varies. 
• Sticking to a routine sleep schedule can help as well. Use teeth protectors at night to sleep if you are grinding your teeth regularly during sleep. Bruxism, or grinding teeth, is an indicator of unstable mental health. Ask your PCP to refer you to a mental health professional.
• Be mindful of your posture at work and home and correct it as soon as you know you are in a compromised posture.

Taking over-the-counter medications for headaches is what many people turn to, which is fine if you rarely experience headaches. However, for those who unfortunately deal with chronic headache pain regularly, other conservative methods like physical therapy treatment may be necessary, much safer than popping pain pills.

How can physical therapy help?

Physical therapy is a non-invasive, natural, and safe method of treatment for tension headaches. Our bodies don’t function properly if any part is out of alignment. At Jeevam Therapy, we can diagnose and treat the source of your tension headaches. 

First, our physical therapist will examine your condition and ask you questions about your past medical history, digging deeper into any trauma you had in the past. You moved on from brushing off the pain back then, but now it might be a trigger point for your tension headache. We palpate (gently press on your skin) your face, head, and neck to find tightness and tender points. 

Our physical therapist will ask you questions about your daily activities, exercise habits, and working environment. After that, diagnostic tests will be conducted to fully assess your range of motion, muscle strength, endurance, gait, balance, and posture while sitting and standing. At Jeevam Therapy, we typically perform manual therapy and stretches first; if necessary, we may use modalities like therapeutic ultrasound, TENS units, cupping, etc., followed by targeted exercises designed to improve posture and relieve pain. At last, we may use a dry needle to relieve your pain. 

It’s time to put your health first

Headaches can control your life, but you can DO SOMETHING about it. You can be empowered by learning how to prevent tension headaches from occurring. It can be the difference between enjoying life with your loved ones or feeling pain, fatigue, and helplessness. 

Physical therapy is a safe and effective method of headache management too. If you’re dealing with chronic headache pain, contact us at Jeevam Therapy today for help. You’re in good hands here; we’ll find the source of your pain and treat it properly, once and for all. 

Read About Sarvani’s Tension Headache Story:

After having spent years trying different doctors to address my tension headaches and pain due to scoliosis, I came across Dr. Eva and her team. Within a week, she was able to lessen my pain, and I saw tremendous changes to my muscle strength, which is something no prior doctor I visited was able to address. She has a very holistic approach and takes the time to help each person understand their body and gain strength and knowledge to maintain sustained improvements. She is an excellent doctor who treats her patients like family, giving attentive care and careful explanations of everything. Not just Dr. Eva, but her entire team has helped me feel extremely comfortable and encouraged! Recommend it to anyone else struggling with scoliosis!

Sarvani K.

See What Our Other Patients Are Saying About Us!

Contact us at Jeevam Therapy for more information and to set up an appointment for a full evaluation of your headache.

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Tags: therapy, physical therapy, scoliosis, pain relief, pain relievers, tension headaches, arthritis, manual therapy