Treating Headaches without Drugs

It’s not at all uncommon to see people treating headaches and other chronic pains with drugs, but this isn’t always the best approach. Using anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol can potentially lead to other health issues in the long-run such as stomach problems and drug dependence.

Furthermore, tackling the problem with drugs only deals with the symptom rather than the root cause of it. This means that, while using drugs to help with general feelings of discomfort and stiffness might help in the short-term, they can ultimately exacerbate the problem.

In our experience, a far better way of dealing with these issues is through simple physiotherapy exercises that keep you busy in the day, meaning you’ll experience less stiffness in the evenings and a better night’s sleep.

Here are three exercises devised by one of our expert physios that you can try to help deal with headaches in a natural and more sustainable way.

#1 — Chin tucks

To get started with this one, stand up nice and tall. Allow your shoulders to gently fall back and down. Keeping your head level, slide your chin back and hold for five seconds. Relax and repeat this step five times.

This exercise will help to reduce neck stiffness and improve posture.

#2 — Open ups

With this exercise, you’ll need to start by clasping your hands together and reaching behind your head (gripping at the base of the back of the skull), start to look down and gently apply pressure through your hands. Remember to stop when you feel a gentle stretch down the back of your neck and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat this five times.

#3 – Resisted chin tucks

This one’s the same as chin tucks, but this time, while standing against a wall, tuck your chin until you feel resistance from the wall. Alternatively, use a rolled up hand towel, loop around the back of the skull, and hold an end in each hand, tuck the chin while resisting the movement with the towel until you feel gentle resistance. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times.

This exercise can be helpful for reducing stiffness in the neck, especially when suffering a headache.

Hopefully, by using these exercises on a regular basis, you should start to see and feel genuine results before too long. Of course, if you are struggling with regular headaches and are considering physiotherapy as a means of treating the problem, we would recommend that you seek expert guidance from a fully-trained physiotherapist, who can make sure that you’re doing the exercises correctly.

Expert physiotherapists have the experience and the know-how to ensure that you’re going through the right exercises for you, and that you’re doing it in a safe way. So, next time you’re struggling with headaches or stiffness problems, consider tackling the root of the issue, rather than just dealing with the symptoms.

Want to give drug-free headache treatment a try? Our expert physios are standing by and can be reached by phone at 1300 797 793  or via online contact. Get in touch today.