Natural Treatment for Tension Headaches 

Tension in the Neck and Jaw

If you hold tension in your neck or jaw, it may be causing or contributing to your headaches. All the pain medication in the world won’t help to release the tension. One way to release the tension is through gentle chiropractic adjustments to the base of the neck, and another way is through active therapeutic stretching which is a form of deep tissue work.

Patients that suffer with headaches and migraines have muscle tension in the neck and jaw. The base of the skull and jaw are the most overlooked muscle groups in the body — stress, clenching and grinding can trigger headaches.

If you have headaches that reoccur, you are likely doing something that’s causing repetitive stress. This could be looking down at your tablet, your smart phone, or your laptop. Doing work on your laptop in bed is a big problem, because you have to look down at the computer. It’s best to work on a computer that’s at eye level. Sleeping on your stomach with your head turned to the side can also cause tension in the neck. Be aware of static positions that promote a forward head and jaw posture.                                          .

Food Sensitivities

Often headaches are linked to food sensitivities. The best thing to do is follow an Elimination diet where you take the foods that most commonly cause allergies and sensitivities out of your diet for 2 weeks. These include gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, even citrus, strawberries and nightshade vegetables. After 2 weeks, you can re-introduce foods and see if any affect your headache symptoms.