Headaches are an extremely common ailment. About 90% of people experience at least one headache in their lifetime, and tension headaches are the most common type of headache, with at least 40% of people around the world experiencing them. People often turn to over-the-counter and prescription medications to alleviate the painful symptoms of headaches, but these solutions come with side effects and don’t solve the underlying problem, especially with tension headaches.
Many people, however, are surprised to learn that exercise for headaches can be an effective, natural, and non-invasive method of managing, reducing, and preventing headaches.
Understanding the Connection Between Tension and Headaches
Muscle tension, especially in the head, shoulders, and neck, is primarily responsible for tension headaches, with 70% of tension headache patients exhibiting muscle tension and tightness.
The tense muscles put pressure on nerves within the muscle groups, activating pain pathways in the brain. These nerves are like trigger points that can cause referred headache pain.
To manage these headaches, muscle tension must be alleviated by addressing underlying factors that contribute to muscle tension, such as chronic stress, dehydration, lack of sleep, muscle imbalances, and poor posture (forward head posture).
The Role of Stretching
Stretching designed to target and relax tight muscles in the head, neck, and shoulders can help alleviate and prevent tension headaches. Some of the most effective stretches for tension headaches include:
- Neck side stretches.
- Upper trapezius and levator scapula stretches.
- Cat-cow stretch for spinal mobility.
During stretches, patients can also practice breathing exercises to help reduce stress to further relax the muscles. Types of relaxation-promoting breathwork include:
- Deep, Circle Breathing - Focusing on inhaling slowly through the nose and exhaling slowly out the mouth.
- Box Breathing - Inhaling for a count of four seconds, holding for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and then holding for four seconds.
- Belly Breathing - Place a hand over your stomach and focus on breathing into your abdomen so that your stomach rises and falls with each inhale and exhale.
Strengthening for Posture Correction
Poor posture is a major contributing factor in tension headaches, especially for individuals who work at a desk or spend a lot of time looking at their phone screens. When a person practices poor posture, the wrong muscle groups grow stronger and tighter, and the wrong muscle groups become stretched out and loose. As a result, a person’s entire physiology can be thrown off balance.
While we use stretching to target overly tight muscle groups, we use strength training to strengthen muscle groups that are necessary for supporting proper posture. This includes a variety of highly diverse movements designed to strengthen key postural muscles.
Some of the most common postural strengthening exercises include:
- Chin tucks to realign the neck.
- Rows to strengthen the upper back muscles.
- Planks to improve overall core stability.
By strengthening the muscle groups that support proper posture, posture improves over time, helping to reduce posture-related muscle tension and headaches.
Aerobic Exercise Benefits
In addition to stretching and strength training, aerobic exercise (such as walking, swimming, or cycling) also plays an important role in reducing the frequency and intensity of headaches over time. Aerobic exercise helps support lymphatic drainage while increasing blood flow and reducing stress. These factors help support an overall properly functioning, healthy body while reducing muscle tension.
Lifestyle Tips to Enhance Results
In addition to introducing a well-rounded exercise routine that incorporates stretching, strength training, and aerobic exercises, consider the following lifestyle adjustments to enhance your results and mitigate headaches:
- Create an ergonomic workstation where you can sit up straight, with your elbows supported, your feet flat on the floor, and your gaze comfortably trained straight forward at your computer screen.
- Keep a water bottle with you throughout the day and be sure you drink enough water to stay hydrated. Preventing dehydration will help reduce muscle tension.
- Take breaks to stand up, stretch, and move around at least every 20 minutes.
- Seek professional support with a physical therapist who can provide you with a fitness program specially designed for chronic headache sufferers.
Get Relief With Personalized and Professionally Monitored Exercise for Headaches With Our Physical Therapists
To learn more about how exercise can help you conquer your tension headaches or to request a tension headache consultation with one of our physical therapists, we invite you to contact Fyzical today.