5 Tips To Relieve Holiday Stress Headaches

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Stress Headaches are very common during the Holiday Season. It seems we often try to do more than we should to try to please everyone, which can cause muscle tension and stress headaches.

Here are a few simple things you can do to both prevent stress headaches from happening and to get rid of them if they do happen:

1. Use a cervical pillow such as a Tempur-Pedic neck pillow which will help the neck muscles to rest and recover when you sleep. Soft pillows cause the muscles to work when you sleep which can contribute to stress headaches.
2. Buy an ice gel pack from your local drug store and keep it in the freezer. When you feel like you are stressed out you can ice the neck muscles for 15 minutes to reduce the muscle spasms and prevent a headache from coming on. You can also ice after you get a headache. Make sure to use a paper towel between the ice pack and your skin  to prevent ice burn.
3. Roll a hand towel into a roll and put it under your neck. Lie on it whenever you feel stress related muscle tension or a headache coming on. Do this for 5-10 minutes several times per day.
4. Do these neck stretches at work or at home. Do not do them if they cause pain.
5. Visit your chiropractor if you do all of the above and the headaches persist. You may have caused  a bone to lose it's proper position in the neck and a chiropractor can put it back in place for you.

So there you go...you don't have to let Holiday Stress related headaches ruin the party. Be proactive...especially if you are prone to headaches.

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco. To schedule an appointment call 415-392-2225.