Self-Care for Headaches: Strategies for Pain Management

For individuals dealing with headaches, can utilizing self-care techniques help ease symptoms?

Headaches Self Care

There are different self-pain-relieving approaches to ease headache-related pain that use non-medication options. While headache self-care pain-relieving techniques can help temporarily, they are recommended to help ease headache symptoms until professional treatment is available. Individuals are encouraged to try multiple strategies to find the right treatment regimen that works for them, which is usually a process of trial and error. Self-care headache relief maneuvers can include temple massages, breathing exercises, exercise, or applying a cold pack to the head.

Self-Care Relief

Commonly used for tension headaches or migraine, a few examples of self-care techniques include (Espí-López G. V. et al., 2016)

• Massaging the temples, neck, or scalp with the hand, fingers, or a massage tool.
• Applying a cold pack to the affected area.
• Heat can be used on the affected area, like a headband or a hot shower.
• Compression such as a handkerchief or belt wrapped tightly around the head or pressing firmly on the painful area.

Compression is more commonly utilized in migraineurs versus scalp massage in people with tension headaches. This is often due to the throbbing sensation caused by a migraine versus a tension headache, which feels like a tight grip or band around the head.

Individuals with cluster headaches are more likely to utilize unique approaches, such as covering one ear, rotating the head, shallow breathing, moving around, or closing the nostril on the same side as the head pain.

Other Complementary Options

Other complementary therapies for headache and migraine care include: (Millstine D. et al., 2017)

• Trigger point release massage
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Aerobic exercise
• Yoga
• Deep breathing exercises
• Meditation
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Various scientific studies support the potential benefit of these complementary therapies. However, individuals should talk with a healthcare provider to choose the best strategy for their headache type and their unique needs/goals. Working with a chiropractic team can help expedite healing. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic works with primary healthcare providers and specialists to develop a customized treatment plan through an integrated approach to treating injuries and chronic pain syndromes, improving flexibility, mobility, and agility, relieving pain, and helping individuals return to normal activities. If other treatments are needed, Dr. Jimenez has teamed up with top surgeons, clinical specialists, medical researchers, and rehabilitation providers to provide the most effective treatments.

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Tension Headaches and Chiropractic Care

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References

Espí-López, G. V., Zurriaga-Llorens, R., Monzani, L., & Falla, D. (2016). The effect of manipulation plus massage therapy versus massage therapy alone in people with tension-type headache. A randomized controlled clinical trial. European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 52(5), 606–617.

Millstine, D., Chen, C. Y., & Bauer, B. (2017). Complementary and integrative medicine in the management of headache. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 357, j1805. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j1805