Lifestyle and home remedies (3)
- Headaches: Reduce stress to prevent the pain
- Tension-type headaches: Self-care measures for relief
- Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress
Symptoms (2)
- Symptom Checker
- Common headache types
Treatments and drugs (1)
- Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
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Tension-type headaches: Self-care measures for relief
Ease muscle tension
Muscle tension can trigger tension-type headaches. If you're feeling tense, apply heat or ice to soothe sore neck and shoulder muscles. Use a heating pad set on low, a hot water bottle, a warm compress or a hot towel. A hot bath or shower may help, too. If you'd rather use ice, wrap the ice pack in a cloth to protect your skin.
Massage also can relieve muscle tension — and sometimes headache pain. Gently massage your temples, scalp, neck and shoulders with your fingertips. Or ask someone else to do the honors.
Relax
Take time to unwind every day. Try this deep-breathing exercise:
- Lie down on your back or sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in your lap.
- Imagine yourself in a peaceful place, perhaps a beach or quiet forest. Keep this scene in your mind.
- Focus on inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply for 10 minutes or more.
- When you're done, sit quietly for a minute or two.
Try to practice these breathing exercises or another form of relaxation every day.
Keep a headache diary
A diary may help you determine what triggers your tension-type headaches. Note when your headaches start, what you were doing at the time, how long they last and what, if anything, provides relief. With the help of a headache diary, you may begin to notice patterns in your daily life that may contribute to your tension-type headaches. You may also note the benefits of healthy lifestyle changes.
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- Trigger avoidance information. American Headache Society. http://www.achenet.org/tools/TriggerAvoidanceInformation.asp. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Fight stress with healthy habits. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3047939. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- In brief: Your guide to healthy sleep. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthysleepfs.pdf. Accessed March 9, 2009.
- Caffeine. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Caffeine. Accessed Feb. 22, 2010.
- Stress won't go away? Maybe you are dealing with chronic stress. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/chronic-stress.aspx. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm#142883138. Accessed Feb. 19, 2010.
- Taylor FR. Tension-type headache in adults: Pathophysiology, clinical features and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Daily relaxation. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3047937. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- Keeping a headache diary can help your doctor help you. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/pdf/How_Keep_Headache_Diary.pdf. Accessed Feb. 21, 2010.
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