A pounding headache is the worst. Pain caused by headaches can derail plans with friends, cause work to be insufferable and make you want to lay in bed until it’s gone. There are many causes for headaches like tension, stress, dehydration, food allergies, lack of sleep, sinus congestion and let’s not forget the hangover headache!
When headaches strike, instead of reaching for pain medication, relieve headache pain with 5 recommendations from our Vancouver chiropractors:
- Water:
Drink 6 -8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. Water helps to keep fluids in the brain and promote healthy blood flow. A study found that drinking around seven glasses a day was enough to ease pain and improve the quality of life in patients who regularly suffer headaches.* - Compress: If your headache is caused by tension, apply a hot compress to the head and neck to relax tight muscles and promote blood flow. For vascular headaches, use a cold compress to constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow. Don’t know the difference? If it’s a throbbing headache, that’s likely vascular so get that cold wash cloth on your head stat!
- Massage: There are many self-healing trigger points on the head, neck and back that can be massaged to relieve pain. Try lightly massaging this neck trigger point to stop pain from headaches or migraines. Take care when massaging trigger points and get a professional consultation at Jassal Chiropractic Vancouver.
- Soak your Feet: A hot foot bath not only melts away stress and tension, but it also works wonders for headache relief. When feet are placed in hot water, blood flows to the lower body to reduce pressure in blood vessels in the head.
- Peppermint: Peppermint aromatherapy has a soothing, calming effect to relieve headaches. Simply make some peppermint tea to sip slowly while taking in the aroma or apply peppermint oil to your temples or massage a few drops onto the back of your neck.
If you suffer from headaches or migraines, be sure to try these tips or book a 10-minute phone consultation to learn more about chiropractic for headache relief.
