Tension headaches are caused by stress or tension in the muscles in the neck which travels through the back of the neck, into the head and sometimes into the arms. They can be very debilitating and a large portion of American adult is affected by them.The symptoms of a tension headache can be very mild to very severe and typically consist of nausea, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. There are ways to treat tension headaches such as, medication, physical therapy, and a change in a person’s lifestyle.
Lifestyle
Typically changing your lifestyle works for most people if they have mild to moderate tension headaches to prevent them. Some people that get tension headaches either get too much sleep or not enough sleep and if this is the case then you are going to want to get a healthy amount of sleep every night and that should help. There are some people get tension headaches and have a very busy life so they tend to miss meals and not take care of their selves the way that they should. There are is an easy fix for this cause, make sure that you schedule a certain time during the day to do some form of exercising, whether it’s stretching, jumping jacks, or pushups.
You should also focus on eating a healthier diet such as more fruits and vegetables, meats, and grains instead of pre processed foods. If you are going to try to change your diet then cheese, chocolate, MSG, nuts, or peanut butter you are going to want to avoid or only eat in moderation because a study was done that said they can cause tension headaches. The last lifestyle change that you could do is to learn some ways to relax when you are feeling the stress in your life is getting out of control. Take about 5 to 10 minutes to do some deep breathing or maybe some meditation to bring your body to a relaxed state.
Medication
If you have tried to change your lifestyle and that just doesn’t seem to prevent them and the pain is really getting bad there are medications that you can get over the counter that typically work. There is acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen that you can take by alone or use a combination of them. If you are the kind of person that get severe tension headaches then you may have to go to your family physician and they will have to put you on a prescription to either cure them or they can even give you something to prevent them. There are antidepressants such as Elavil and Tofranil that can prevent them or they can give you an anti-seizure medication that can also help prevent them as well. These medications are rarely needed because most of the people that suffer from tension headaches only get mild to moderate headaches.
Physical Therapy and Massage
If you constantly have tension headaches then you may want to get a massage on a regular basis because it is a great way to get rid of tension in the tissues and pain throughout your body. What it does is works out the tension in the tissues in the body by loosening the fibers in the tissues and in the muscles which in turn releases throughout the body. You can also go to a physical therapist that will teach you exercise that you can do at home or while you are at work that will help prevent tension headaches by making sure all of the muscles and tissues in your body stay loose.
Works Cited
Staff, P. P. (2015, October 4). Tension Headache Relief Perth Wa. Retrieved October 4, 2015, from Perth Physiotherapy and Sports Injuries Centre: http://www.perthphysio.com/location/75 Steven D. Ehrlich, N. (2013, July 31). Tension Headache. Retrieved October 4, 2015, from University of Maryland Medical Center: https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/tension-headache
For more information visit Physio-cambridge.co.uk
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