You had so much planned today, but you find yourself sitting at your desk, throwing an aspirin into a glass of water and hoping for the best. You’ve got a headache, and it just won’t go. That’s your second tablet of aspirin since this morning, and it’s still not helping. Before you start considering more potent medicine to treat your problems – such as strong painkillers, for instance – you should steer away from anything that comes in a tablet form. Ultimately, your headache might be caused by a variety of reasons. Numbing the pain through medication is not helping you to address the underlying cause. Here are some the things you should be doing instead of looking into your medicine cabinet for a quick fix.
Ease the tensions
Did you know that repeated bad posture is associated with headaches? According to the expert team at Scott Swanson Chiropractic triggers such as sitting at your desk with your neck tilted at an unnatural angle are common in your everyday life. Chiropractic therapy can address these risk factors and actively help to release muscle and joint tensions in your neck area – as these can irritate in the long term. In other words, next time you’re struggling with a headache, you should ask yourself if your posture has anything to do with it. A headache combined with lower back pain is a sign that your chain and desk setting isn’t suitable for your body, for instance.
De-stress!
Stress causes tensions. Tensions cause pains, both muscular and nervous. You can develop a nervous migraine as a result of prolonged exposure to a hectic environment – everyone knows that one impossible project at work that needs to be finished before a tight deadline, for instance. The thing is that you can’t erase stress as long as you remain in the same environment. You need a change of horizon. A quick getaway allows you to let the routine behind and recharge your batteries. And what better places to visit than a beautiful destination that brings all your senses together? The presence of nature – flowers, forests, rivers, mountains, etc. – can decrease your blood pressure and stress levels!
Find your natural endorphins
Low pain tolerance is a sign that your body doesn’t produce enough endorphins. Indeed, the production of endorphins is linked to a boost in happiness and a decrease in pain sensations. Consequently, encouraging your body to produce more will reduce your headache. You can find endorphins in plenty of foods, such as chocolate and hot peppers. But exercise and laughter can also give you the boost you need!
Is it a phantom pain?
The concept of phantom pain is often associated with a missing limb. A phantom headache can, therefore, be confusing – it’s hard to be missing your head! But, when the pain is linked to a traumatic event, it can present itself as an emotional response to a similar situation. Say that you bumped your head after an altercation in town. Visiting the same place can act as a reminder and lead to a memory pain.
The bottom line is that painkillers don’t sort out your problems. Tackling the pain at its core requires a solid understanding of your body, mind, and emotions.
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