How to Use Relaxation Techniques to Treat Headaches

By eHow Health Editor

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For millions of Americans, headaches are a problem they have grown accustomed to: just take a few ibuprofen and get back to work. This is one way to treat headaches, but it is also simply a temporary resolution. Your headaches are going to come back. The best way to treat headaches is to find ways to prevent them. Relaxation techniques can treat headaches as well as help reduce their intensity and duration.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Use soft or gentle music in the background. Music is known to have a calming effect when included in relaxation techniques. Any kind of relaxing music would work: light classical, New Age and Gregorian chants are popular.

Step2

Use massage to help treat your headaches. Massage is a great tool for relieving tense muscles which cause tension headaches. Focus on the upper back and neck for the most effective treatment.

Step3

Perform yoga or tai-chi, two physical arts that are known for their ability to promote relaxation. Stick with simpler forms that don't require as much physical strength or exertion at first.

Step4

Meditate. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and try to think about nothing at all. You can find a huge variety of relaxation and meditation books and videos online. There's a wide variety of meditation techniques available.

Step5

Perform one of your favorite hobbies. Paint, play an instrument or just read a book. Doing such activities makes it tough to think about stressful things or even focus on something other than pure relaxation. You might even want to take a class or two related to your hobbies.

Step6

Explore reflexology to see if it can help you treat your headaches. Reflexology involves pressing or massaging various pressure points on the body (notably the feet and hands) believed to be linked to other points of the body, and is believed to be capable of contributing to relaxation.

Tips & Warnings

Change your diet and get plenty of exercise in addition to using relaxation techniques. This combination can be very effective in helping to treat headaches without ever having to see a doctor.
Always talk to your doctor if the intensity of your headaches worsens, or if they are lasting longer than normal. You might have additional medical concerns which need to be addressed, of which headaches are simply symptoms.