Tension Headaches? Try this

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Oh no!

You’re getting yet another tension headache and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

There is so much to do and people are depending on you but that familiar tightening in your neck has started and you know that pretty soon the gnawing head-pain will make life difficult.

You don’t want to take more pain killers and you just don’t have time to go to bed and rest discover here.

So what can you do?

Acupuncture helps with tension headaches

It helps energy flow freely around the body but the good news is that you can get some of the benefits without having to book an appointment.

I’m not suggesting you stick needles into yourself but many people don’t realise that you can also move energy by massaging the points or moving energy in other ways.

Headaches mean there is energy stuck at the top of the body and what we want to do is bring that energy down towards the hands and the feet and release the pressure at the top.

5 things to try based on the wisdom of Chinese Medicine

  1. Two important pathways of energy flow around the head and down to the feet. Start by doing circles with your feet to encourage the flow of energy down through your ankles. Do  10 circles in each direction
  2. Just behind the ankle bone on the outside,  is a point on the Bladder line which is connected to the neck, head and eyes. Massage here if it is sore, applying pressure for about a minute on each foot.  Use a wooden spoon if you can’t reach! Or ask a friend.
  3. Is your neck is tight and uncomfortable?  Gently circle your shoulders to free up those energy pathways.  Neck circles can feel too strong but moving the shoulders can really ease neck tension without causing more stress.
  4. Qi gong is a Chinese exercise system that encourages the free flow of Qi. One beautiful and easy movement is to lightly stroke the energy down from head to foot with a sweeping movement of your hands. Start with your hands on your forehead and sweep back, down the back of the head, down the neck, over to the chest, down the front of the torso, the legs and to the feet. Now do the same but sweeping the lower back and the backs of the legs.  Finally sweep down from the neck to the arms and hands. It isn’t necessary to touch every part of your body, just do what you can without effort and let your whole body move freely rather than stretch and reach. The idea of a downward movement is more important than actually touching every part.
  5. Finish with your hands on your stomach just under your breastbone. Breath deeply and slowly into this space.  As you breath in say to yourself RELAX and as you breath out SMILE.

To look at what is causing your tension headaches I would need to see you for a consultation. An acupuncture treatment would be designed just for you.

Let me know in the comments if you try these exercises. Did they help?

Photo credit: kizzzbeth via Foter.com / CC BY

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