Curing Stress Headaches

Stress headaches, also known as tension headaches, are one of the most common physical effects of stress. There are a number of stress management techniques to beat a tension headache.

Perhaps it was the daily build-up of stress at work or school, or perhaps it was an isolated stressful incident.

BUT you can feel your muscles at the back of your neck tightening – you are in familiar territory!

You’ve had a tension headache before. You know it is a result of increased muscle tension – surely we can relax our muscles...can’t we?

Tension headaches are big business. Not only do pharmaceutical companies make plenty of money but the pain of a tension headache can really derail your day.

You don’t have to be passive to the effects of a tension headache.

A number of stress management techniques can be used to treat your tension headache.

What is the most common cause of stress headaches

According to a national poll of Americans in 2009, the biggest causes of stress are work stress, the economy, financial stress and demanding responsibilities at home.

Whatever the source of stress, a common symptom of stress is increased muscle tension.

This increased tension is also a common cause of a tension headache.

The tightening of the muscles at the back of the neck and the forehead, the jaw becoming tense are all familiar causes of a tension headache.

If only we knew how to relax our muscles prior to the start of a stress related headache!

Many people describe a stress related headache as a moderate to mild pressure-like pain across the forehead, which is quite different and less debilitating than migraines.

What you can do for a stress related headache

A stress related headache is a common occurrence and is a big business for pharmaceuticals that produce aspirins and tranquilizers to help people cope with their tension headache.

However, in my stress management classes I am often amazed at the number of people who report feeling a tension headache before class and then after doing some relaxation exercises in class miraculously finds that their headache has disappeared.

A stress related headache is an indication that you are stressed and most likely carrying increased muscle tension.

From a stress management perspective there are a number of ways to treat your tension headache.

Get to the source of the stress. Keeping a stress diary will help you to identify the events that lead up to your stress. Knowing what triggers your stress and how you react to this stress can help you to put in place stress management techniques to avoid your triggers or manage stress more effectively.

Hypnosis. Ease away tension headaches quickly and naturally with hypnosis. At times it can be difficult to ease and relax your muscles – especially when you are busy. This hypnosis MP3 for tension headaches can could give your relief now.

Meditation or breathing exercises. Research also shows that meditation and breathing exercises have been used to effectively treat a stress headache.

Biofeedback. Biofeedback can help you to recognize your muscle tension and tell you what relaxation strategies are working for you.

Whether your relaxation techniques are breathing exercises, guided imagery or progressive relaxation - biofeedback can give you the tools to monitor your muscle tension and effects of relaxation.

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