6 Tips For Managing Your Headaches

Did you know that millions of people in the U.S. deal with headaches on a regular basis? Even the most common trigger for migraine headaches are other types of headaches arising from muscle tension or other components of the neck, jaw, and shoulders. Here are a few of our favorite tips for managing your headaches:

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1. Check Your Posture! — While “perfect posture” isn’t necessary, making sure you pay attention while you’re at your desk, computer, or driving to how your body feels is key! After about 20-30 minutes of sitting we often see posture progressively slouch, so take short breaks to get up and move around.

2. Check Your Tension — Taking the tip of your tongue and placing it behind your top teeth like you’re going to make the “Nnnn” sound, making sure there is space between your teeth and your lips are slightly closed is an optimal resting position for your jaw. People are SHOCKED how often they are clenching while concentrating or while under stress.

3. Eye Strain – Your vision is controlled by six muscles around the eye, which can get strained and tired just like any other muscle in the body. Glare reducing screen covers, different lenses on your glasses, and changing the ambient amount of light can all create reductions in eye fatigue.

4. Chin Tucks — Imitating the movement when you say “eww”, like when something is disgusting, helps activate lesser used postural muscles in your neck that can unload the overworked muscles and actually helps put you in a more optimal biomechanics position. Don’t quite get it? Check out this Chin Tuck Exercise video below for an explanation.

5. Hydration! – One of the largest predictors from a study of Google employees on how they felt physically at the end of the day was how much and how consistently they hydrated. It also keeps blood volume up which helps fluid move through your body – bringing fuel and transporting out waste products from all your tissues.

6. Physical Therapy – Many folks can reduce frequency, intensity, and duration of headaches with physical therapy so they don’t “lose days”, or are unable to focus on work, their children, can improve social participation, and reclaim their lives from the pain and suffering that come with headaches.