Do you ever notice an unwanted throb in the temple or a tight band across the front of your forehead? How about the tension in the uppermost part of the back of your neck?
These are typical patterns of the tension headaches most people experience. It may begin later on in a stressful day, or during a stressful event, or you may wake up with it. I often hear patients tell me they only get headaches when they are under stress. In fact, most headaches are caused by stress; either physical stress like over-exercising, being overworked, mental stress from worry or grief, or chemical stress like dehydration or drug side-effect.
Regardless of the type of stress causing the headache, releasing the tension from the muscles and joints around the upper back, shoulders, neck, and head can help to alleviate this unwelcome symptom.
The Chiropractor is the perfect place to start to find help. We can quickly find the cause of your immediate pain, and through adjustments and trigger point therapy, we can help release the tension and stop the headache. After the initial treatment phase we will always encourage patients to correct postural faults, improve range of motion, and release their own trigger points.
The picture above shows the most common location of trigger points that cause headache. You may be able to press on them yourselves by lying face up on your couch or bed and applying pressure with your thumb or finger tips to the area just below your hairline. Apply moderate pressure for 15 to 20 seconds before letting off the pressure. Then move your thumb about half an inch left or right and if it still hurts, press again for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat in 3 or 4 spots and go over each trigger point 2 or 3 times if it’s bad. Caution this advice if for a simple headache, but if it persists or gets worse, especially if it causes vomiting, see a doctor right away.