Tension headaches are the most common type of headache that occur. They are caused by various muscles in the back of neck becoming tight from reasons such as stress and prolonged posture. When the muscles are tight they create “tension” on the skin and nerves causing irritation which results in headaches. These headaches can be very obnoxious and can make focusing on the activities you’re wanting to accomplish become a struggling task. Without a plan of attack to combat these headaches, they can linger on throughout the day and possibly worsen if nothing is being done to change the causes. Here are 3 ways you can try to not only relieve these headaches, but possibly prevent them! 

     1. Conquer Stress - Managing stress can be a way to prevent muscles from getting tight. Whether this be a form of meditation, taking a nap, going on a walk, or doing any other activity that relaxes you, the short mental break from the task at hand could be the ticket. 

     2. Change Your Posture - All postures is the best posture. Staying in one posture for a long time is what causes a posture to be a “bad posture”. Staying in one position causes muscles to adapt to the prolonged position, which results in the muscles becoming tight when you want to change that position. Every so often, change the position you’re in to prevent the neck muscles from adapting. 

     3. Exercises and Stretches - Exercises and stretches can be performed to provide relief from an ongoing headache and could possibly prevent the headache from occurring. One exercise that can be effective for tension headaches is the chin retraction. A description of that exercise is below:

• Chin Retractions: Keeping your neck and upper back straight, put your index and middle finger on your chin and push your chin (Yes, we are making some double chins). If you can perform this without using your fingers, it would still work!

     While tension headaches are the most common headaches, they don’t have to be common for you. Try these three simple ways to conservatively combat tension headaches, and always, if you need additional help combating them reach out to Focus On Health so we can be on your team against these headaches!