Chronic Headaches? 5 Things You’re Doing Wrong
Chronic Headaches? 5 Things You’re Doing Wrong.
Chronic headaches are not normal and not something you need to live with. Fortunately, for over 10 years we’ve helped many patients resolve their headaches so they can get back to living their life and doing the things they love. Here are our top 5 tips for headache relief and resolution:
- You’re not drinking water. Your body needs about half its weight in ounces of clean water per day (75oz for 150 lbs) and many headaches are related to dehydration. (P.S. Coffee doesn’t count toward your water goal!)
- You have bad posture. Poor ergonomics and posture contribute to strain on the upper neck and muscle attachments to the skull which can cause headaches. This includes looking down at a phone or tablet often, sitting too long at a computer and even sleeping on your stomach or with a pillow that is too big. Hint: Put down your cell phone!
- You’re not moving. Lack of motion leads to muscle tension and poor circulation which leads to pain. Try these 3 simple exercises (starting at the 7:30 mark) daily to help the motion and function of your upper back and neck.
- You have a poor diet. Sugar, food additives (MSG, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, etc) and artificial sweeteners often contribute to headaches. Try to eliminate these from your diet. On the flip side, consider adding magnesium to your diet. 80% of us are magnesium deficient and headaches are one of the early symptoms of deficiency. These are the two sources we recommend, Natural Calm and Magnesium Malate.
- You’re not getting adjusted. Misalignment in the neck and tension in the skull can contribute to headaches. Chiropractors detect these imbalances and make corrections (adjustments) to restore alignment which improves circulation and minimizes pressure. Some specially trained chiropractors also perform cranial therapy which relieves tension. These techniques often alleviate headache symptoms.
