Headaches are a pain. We all get them now and again, but for some of us, they’re more of a regular occurrence than others…
And here at the clinic in Bangkok, it’s incredible just how many people we see who tell us that they’ve suffered from headaches so often, that they just consider them to be a regular part of life they end up dealing with.
That’s why things like tylenol and other types of painkillers are such big sellers.
But drugs can only relieve the symptoms temporarily by masking the pain – when many times, the recurring headaches may actually be the result of something else!
Take a look at this email I received from a new patient last week as an example:
“Hi Rikhi, after reading your neck pain and headaches booklet I wanted to send you an email to see if you could help me!
I’m 48 years old and the last 6 months I’ve been suffering from some of the worst headaches I’ve ever had.
I sit in front of a computer daily for at least 8 hours in a job that is stressful most of the time.
Recently I visited the Doctor who gave me pills to take the pain away, but the pain still exists and all I feel is constant tightness in my head.
I don’t know what to do, or what the cause could be, it feels like pounding at the front of my head.
Do you have any ideas? Thanks Rikhi.”
– Allison, 48, Bangkok
In our years of experience it’s often the case that if someone is suffering from the dreaded regular episodes of headaches, that they just haven’t got to the real underlying root cause of their pain – and most of the time it’s nothing to do with anything that’s going on in the head!
Many times recurring headaches may be the result of tension in the shoulders, jaw or neck – something that many people aren’t even aware of.
You see, while simple painkillers prescribed by the doctor may help take the pain away for a few hours, they aren’t actually doing anything to prevent them from coming back and striking you out of nowhere in the middle of the day.
Most people are aware that sometimes certain foods such as cheese, chocolate and red wine can bring on a nasty headache. But so can other things like hormone changes, being in a smokey room, irregular meals and disrupted sleep.
But what happens when you try to change all of these things but pounding headaches just won’t go away?
The one thing most people disregard as a trigger is ‘stress’. We all know stress does many things to our body, but where do we feel stress the most?
We feel it as tightness and tension in our neck and shoulder muscles – and all of this tension brings on headaches!
Picture this…
Mornings can be manic. You’re running around each morning, you’re late, you can’t find your keys, you’re not prepared for your morning meeting at work and you need to get your daughter ready for school! No wonder why you’re stressed!
Add all of those daily stressors up, you’ll likely find that at the end of the week you’ve got a lot of tension around your shoulders.
Which is why it’s important to deal with these things daily, without responding to them in a stressful way, so we can start to prevent headaches and make them occur less and less.
So what are some things you can do right now to help?
There’s a number of relaxation techniques that can reduce symptoms of stress. Making time for pleasurable activities such as listening to music, reading a book, or doing your favourite exercise – I personally love to go for a walk with my wife, as it really helps to clear my mind and keep stress at bay.
In addition, set aside time, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day, to practice different relaxation techniques – things like Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi and deep breathing.
At the end of the day stress can make your head hurt – and a headache can really stress you out! So either way, to reduce the pain, we’ve got to rein in the stress.
If you need more tips to ease neck pain and headaches, you can download our free report which shows you how to ease pain naturally, without needing painkillers.
Author
Supapong (Boss) Juntharin
Head of Education at Form Recovery and Wellness
Khun Supapong received a Degree in Physiotherapy from Rangsit University in Bangkok. Supapong is the Head of Education at Form Recovery and Wellness and works closely with our team to ensure that the quality of our treatment is always at the highest level and that we are always upskilling our skills.
