If you’re an adult in Australia, chances are you’ve experienced a headache. Maybe you’ve been working longer hours hunched at your kitchen bench? Maybe you’ve been stressed out while home schooling your kids? Or perhaps you’ve found yourself spending more time watching Netflix slouched on the couch? Whatever the reason, if you’ve experienced a headache in your life, you know just how debilitating they can be. So what can you do to help yourself when you experience a headache?
Movement
If you’ve been sitting hunched over for a desk for the past six hours and you’re wondering why you have a throbbing headache, it’s a bit of a no brainer. You have to counter the amount of time held in any posture with movement. It can be as simple as setting a timed reminder to stand up every 30 minutes and walk around for 30 seconds. Movement is the key! Also, make sure you’re getting your 30 minutes of exercise daily to maintain good health and function of your body.
Hydrate
Dehydration headaches are a thing! Dehydration occurs when there is an imbalance between fluid excretion (through urine or sweat) and fluid intake. Caffeine and alcohol intake can also contribute to dehydration. The connection between dehrdration and headaches is not entirely clear, but ensure you’re drinking enough water every day! 2-3L is recommended for an average adult.
Breathe
It’s very easy to forget how to breathe when you’re stressed. Stress breathing comes from your accessory muscles, being the muscles called scalenes that sit around your neck and attach to your upper ribs. Stress breathing is great in a situation where you’re being chased by a tiger or a bear. However, in our modern society, stress is more likely caused by pending deadlines, or something crazy like a pandemic. This can cause tension around the neck leading to a headache. Take time every day to practice breathing through your diaphragm.
Remember, you only get one body, so treat it well and reap the rewards.
If you’re struggling with constant headaches, don’t let the headache get the better of you. Manual therapy can help alleviate the pain of headache by using a combination of massage, mobilisation, manipulation and exercise rehabilitation. So if you’ve tried some home remedies and it’s not giving you the result, our team of Osteopaths and Physiotherapists at Alpha Sports Medicine can help relieve your headache and give you strategies to help manage your pain from home.
