Twelve Great Natural Cures for Tension Headaches

Tension headaches can be an awful annoyance. They happen to all of us, for many reasons -- sleeping "the wrong way", over-exercising (see my related article), sitting at the computer in the wrong posture. There are so many little muscles in the head, neck and back, and it's easy to find that you've strained one or simply left it in the wrong place too long. Here's the bad news: it's easy to come down with a tension headache. The good news is, they can be easy to cure, too! The following is a guide to twelve all-natural cures for tension headaches: six physical, two herbal, and four based on heat.

Physical Cures:

1. Stretching exercises can do wonders against neck tension. Some simple neck and back stretches, done before or after exercise or when you have a headache, can help improve flexibility and relieve tension. Try rolling your head in circles very slowly, then going the other way.

2. Chinese therapeutic exercises are even better. Several of these Lian Gong techniques¹ involve the neck and back, and when you do them, you can literally feel the movements loosening your muscles. It's easy to find videos online offering instruction for free.

3. Yoga is another flexibility-enhancer. Some poses, such as the cat-cow stretch², will help your spine move freely again, relieving back tension, neck tension and pain.

4. Massage is more expensive, at least when looking for professional massage and not the untrained hands of a partner or friend, but it can be well worth the cost when you're faced with the headache that just won't melt away. A smart masseuse can find small muscles you didn't know you had, and massage the tension out of them.

5. Sleep might help: try sleeping in a dark room, ideally flat on your back. But remember what I said about sleeping the wrong way? Be careful. Check your pillow -- it could be pushing your neck too far forward.Which leads to the next tip:

6. Replacing your pillow or sleeping without a pillow may reduce your number of headaches overall. Some special neck pillows are available, but for the low budget, a rolled-up towel behind the neck (and nothing behind the head) works just as effectively.

Herbs and Supplements:

7. Willow bark³ is where aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) comes from, but the herb itself boasts fewer side effects! It can also be more effective as a pain-reliever, according to some reports. It contains salicin and several other compounds, which may boost the overall effect, and people have used it for many centuries to kill pain and lower fevers.

8. Turmeric (curcumin) has become more popular lately as a wonder anti-inflammatory. It's great for arthritis and tendinitis as well, and recent studies have even shown that it has positive effects against cancer! Remember COX-2 inhibitor painkillers, like Vioxx? Well, turmeric is believed to work through the same pathway, but without causing harmful side effects.⁴

Heat Cures:

9. The hot tub is my go-to spot when I've got a headache. I maintain a gym membership for access to their deep, warm water. A soak in the hot tub is like a light full-body massage. If you've mistaken a sinus headache for a tension headache, the warm steam will even clear you out while your muscles relax in the water. The ideal pattern is ten minutes in the tub followed by three to five minutes out on the poolside doing stretching exercises.

10. Saunas and steam rooms might be found near your hot tub in a gym or a spa. They can deliver heat to your whole body. Be careful if you have any health conditions that might be worsened by the heat. For most of us, these rooms can be a pleasant experience, increasing circulation while easing out tension.

11. The bath is cheaper and more easily available, if you don't have access to a hot tub. Neck positioning is important. Place your head in the water, so that your face remains above the water level (don't drown!) and you can tilt your head back. You might need to pull your knees all the way up above the water to soak your neck and back correctly.

12. Hot water bottles can be acquired at most drugstores. Slightly less natural are heating pads, which you can warm in the microwave or plug into the wall. Once you know which muscle is causing the trouble, a heat source placed there will help it relax. If you can't bring yourself to the hot water, bring the hot water to you!