Fixing Your Head

By Shane Sauer

In last week’s blog, we dove deep into what causes headaches. Today, we’re going to discuss headache solutions.

For most people taking a few pills and waiting for the headache to go away is the only solution they know. But this is an old-school approach. Science has opened the door to a number of new treatments. Many of which can be preventative!

I’m going to lay out some simple exercises you can try for each headache culprit mentioned last week. Please realize that with all of these suggestions, the timing is important. Some of them may exacerbate an acute attack and should be used only as preventative exercises. You’ll need to Assess & Reassess these exercises for your body. Each person's response will be different.

Trigeminal Nerve

You can stretch and activate the trigeminal nerve with one simple exercise, opening your jaw wide. But there is an additional piece to really spice this up – keeping your tongue in “The Spot”.

Watch this video to learn how to find The Spot. Once you’ve found it, try to keep it there as you open and close your mouth. 5-10 reps will be enough to start.

Meninges

You can affect these directly with gentle massage (more on that next week), but excess blood pressure in the meninges is often the problem. That’s why migraines pulse and get worse with movement.

There is a natural reflex when pressure is applied to the eyes that reduces your heart rate. That’s why, in addition to blocking light, eye pillows can be so effective.

You can use exercises that affect your Vagus Nerve to calm your nervous system and reduce blood pressure. There are fancy devices that provide electrical stimulation to your ear with proven effects, but vibration can do the same thing. You should use a small, gentle device like the Z-Vibe and apply it for 5 or more minutes.

And if you don’t want to spend any money, exhalation-based breathing can really do the trick, too. Start with a 1:2 Inhale to Exhale ratio.

Greater Occipital Nerve

Just like on the head, gentle massage to the neck muscles can be useful. But there are some simple exercises that will help lock in results.

An Accessory Nerve Glide can release tension in the neck muscles. And a Gliding Nod will help keep the area mobile, keeping pressure off the nerve.

This is just a sampling of the exercises available to you. As always, if you need help identifying your needs and what will be most effective for you, just reach out. I’m here to help!