If you have tension headaches, you are not alone. Around 80 percent of the adult population in the United States suffer from occasional tension headaches. As many as 3 percent have chronic daily tension headaches, meaning they occur for more than 15 days out of a month. The cause of tension headaches is unclear. They are the most common type of headache. They may feel like an uncomfortable band of tightness or pressure going around the entire head.
Some people can deal with tension headaches with little interruption to their lives, while others find they disturb their life quality, impact their sleep, make it difficult to concentrate at work, and put them in a bad mood overall. Taking some pain relievers may help you cope during an attack, but they do not get to the underlying cause of these headaches and they cannot prevent them from happening again.
This article will discuss how you can change your diet and improve your posture to help reduce the incidence of tension headaches. However, something further may be needed, and we will tell you where you can find professional help if tension headaches persist.
Table of Contents
The following symptoms are often associated with tension headaches:
Tension headaches are usually split into two main categories:
Here are some tips you can try at home to help decrease the severity and frequency of tension headaches. It may take a combination of the following to help you see relief.
A healthy diet to naturally keep your muscles relaxed and help you deal with stress is recommended. You will want to include the following:
The following foods may contribute to headaches and should be avoided:
While the above suggestions can help with tension headaches, sometimes more is needed. You may have a misalignment in the bones of the upper cervical spine, causing you to develop tension headaches. If either the C1 or C2 vertebra is out of alignment, it may be putting the brainstem under stress and causing the brainstem to malfunction. The upper cervical bones may also be stressing the neck muscles and pinching nerves -- another reason for tension headaches.
Upper cervical chiropractors see much success in caring for patients with tension headaches and other headache types. We focus on making sure the top bones of the neck are in their proper place. If they are not, we use a method that is gentle and specific to help realign the bones. We are not required to pop or crack the neck to see positive results. Our technique encourages these bones to realign naturally without putting more stress on the body. This often helps immensely with tension headaches.
TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.