3 Tips for Natural Headache Relief | Chiropractor for Headaches in West Des Moines, IA
Hello, this is Dr. Kevin Miller from Truth Family Chiropractic. Today, I’ll share three effective methods to help reduce muscle tension, which can significantly alleviate headache symptoms.
1. Tennis Ball Technique
For the first technique, grab a tennis ball. You’re going to place it right behind your neck, just below the skull. You can apply pressure by leaning against a wall or lying down on the floor. Keep a finger on the ball to maintain its position and gently roll your head up and down. This action massages the muscles and helps ease tension. You can use one or two balls depending on the area you need to cover.
2. Scapula Massage
Next, target the muscle tension in your scapula area. Again, using a tennis ball, place it between your back and the wall or floor and roll up and down over the rhomboid muscle. This movement helps relax the muscles that extend up to your head, which can be a source of headaches.
3. Neck Stretch and Massage
For the final technique, you’ll perform a simple neck stretch and massage:
- Place your hand over the top of your head.
- Gently lean to one side, pulling your head slightly to stretch the neck muscles.
- Enhance the stretch by looking down towards your “shirt pocket” to target different muscle fibers, then look upwards to stretch the upper neck area.
- Repeat on both sides for about 10-15 seconds each.
Additionally, you can massage your temples to release tension in the jaw and temple areas, which are common headache contributors. Let your jaw drop open slightly to relax the muscles fully.
These techniques are quick and effective for relieving tension that often leads to headaches. For ongoing relief, especially for chronic headache sufferers, we recommend using a cervical traction unit. This device elongates the neck, pulling the head away from the neck to stretch the muscles thoroughly and provide lasting relief. We provide these units for our patients to use at home as part of their treatment plan.
These methods are designed to be part of a comprehensive approach to treating and preventing headaches and can be highly beneficial in managing your symptoms.
