Are you suffering from migraines or headaches daily or weekly? You are not alone, however this should not be your norm. Headaches are curable and can be relieved with some massage, deep breathing techniques, acupuncture, or acupressure. Approximately 45 million Americans suffer from headaches every year. Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches. Tension HA are caused by muscle spasm in the neck or at the occiput and is the main cause for these types of headaches. Tension headaches are commonly caused by stress, overwork and poor posture. The good news is that some simple self-care tips can help relieve tension headaches whenever they occur. I hope you watched the video on releasing the levator scapula above to relieve neck pain. Make the tennis or lacrosse ball your friend. It is a great way to give yourself a massage, relieve your headache and decrease stress simultaneously. The neck muscles when in spasm can cause many issues including neck pain, thoracic muscular pain, headaches, migraines, radiculopathy pain, numbness and tingling in the arms.

Make sure you spend several minutes massaging the sore muscles and deep breathing while doing it. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is crucial for muscle relief and will relax the muscles along the entire spine including the cervical, thoracic and lumbar areas. You have your own built in muscle relaxer called your lungs, diaphragm and parasympathetic nervous system. Check out our other blog on meditation and deep breathing. This safety mechanism is hard wired into our nervous system. Next time don’t reach for that pill bottle. Treat yourself before the headache becomes severe.

Dehydration is a major cause of headaches. Are you drinking enough water? The proper amount of water varies from person to person. This changes with age, how active and healthy you are. A good indicator to judge your water intake is thirst and urine output. You shouldn’t be drinking water and urinating constantly every hour. This taxes the kidneys and can make you tired or retain extra water. Is your urine concentrated or dilute? Pay attention and adjust accordingly. If you are not drinking enough water and don’t urinate all day you should likely drink more. Water is crucial for our body to function correctly. Water helps excrete waste and toxins in your urine, stool and sweat. Water lubricates your joints and can help decrease arthritis pain.

If the massage and meditation techniques are not working get scheduled for a free acupuncture consultation today. End your own suffering or let us do it for you. Acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion can help relieve any type of headaches, migraines, neck pain, and upper back or thoracic pain, and torticollis. Headaches can be debilitating and decrease your enjoyment of life so don’t suffer through them. Give yourself some lasting relief. Check out our other videos and blogs while you’re here.