Headaches are a common problem and one that acupuncture is particularly good at treating,
in my over 6 years experience practising acupuncture in the Mansfield area i have had many people come to me complaining of headaches.
the majority of headaches are cause by pressure on the major or minor occipital nerves, which start at the base of the skull just below the occipital
ridge and wrap over the sides and top of the head.
What is putting pressure on these nerves can be a due to number of factors muscular tension is certainly at the top of that list, but muscles don’t just get tight on their own, three major factors are
stress/anxiety, ergonomics of the work space, hydration.
We tend to carry stress in three places in our body in our Gut, Glutes, and Traps, and its this tightness in the traps and other muscles of the neck and shoulders that can often lead to headaches.
How do you manage stress? Do You exercise? Spend time in nature? Do you practice mindfulness and meditation?
With work and study we can often be stuck in front of a computer for large periods of time sometimes hours, so its important to make sure the you have a well set-up work space primarily make sure that the top of your monitor is level with your eyes. If you are going to be working from a laptop for a long period, I would suggest propping the laptop up on some books and get a blue-tooth keyboard and mouse.
When you become dehydrated it becomes harder for your blood to nourish your muscles, your blood becomes thicker (relatively), there is a decrease in electrolytes, and an increase in blood acidity, all of which lead to contraction of your muscles.
How much Fluid do you consume in a day? Water? Tea? Coffee? Juice? All fluids contribute to your hydration, water is obviously the best.
As you can see lifestyle contributes to headaches to a large degree, sometimes all you need to do is changes what you are doing, However Chinese Remedial Massage, and Acupuncture are excellent tool for treating headaches. We are looking to decrease immediate symptoms, and over the course of treatment decrease the frequency, duration and intensity of symptoms.
If you are interested in Chinese Remedial massage, and/or Acupuncture Please contact ‘Step Into Health’ We also offer instruction in meditation and mindfulness