Find Natural Remedies for Tension Headaches

Find Natural Remedies for Tension Headaches
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Tension Headache Symptoms

Tension Headache - Image courtesy of the National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Tension headaches are common and are caused by many factors including everyday stress. Muscles in the head and neck become tense and irritate nerve endings that cause pain throughout the head or in certain areas such as the forehead, back of the head, or temples. The pain is usually a constant and dull feeling, as though someone is squeezing your head with a vise grip, and can radiate down to the neck and shoulders.

Natural Remedies for Tension Headaches

Many people find relief from tension headaches with medications, most commonly aspirin, tylenol, and ibuprofen. Although they may be beneficial in relieving pain, all three can have serious side effects, especially with long-term use, and they can also be the cause of your headaches when the medication wears off.

Instead, try one (or more) of the following:

• Close your eyes and relax, if even for just a few minutes. Clear your mind of all problems. Envision yourself in a peaceful environment, like on a secluded beach with the wind blowing softly and the waves splashing against the warm sand. Take deep breaths. Inhale slowly, count to 5, and exhale slowly while feeling the tension leave your body.

• Exercise. Take a brisk walk or stand up and stretch your muscles. You can also get relief if you roll your neck in circles while holding the back of your neck with both hands.

• Try heat. Take a hot shower, a hot bath with your shoulders and neck emerged in the water, or apply a warm compress over the affected area.

• Drink a refreshing cup of herbal tea. Find relief from tension headache symptoms with one of the following:

  • peppermint
  • meadow sweet
  • chamomile
  • catnip
  • valerian
  • white willow bark
  • rosemary
  • clove
  • linden flower
  • cardamom.

• Use aromatherapy. The following essential oils are wonderful natural remedies for tension headaches (they can be added to your bath water, inhaled, or massaged directly over your skin if properly diluted):

  • peppermint
  • lavender
  • rosemary
  • eucalyptus
  • marjoram.

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