The pace and expectations of modern day life can be stressful. Particularly stressful days may cause your neck and shoulders to tighten into a tangle of knots. As stress and anxiety continue to weigh on you, you may tend to tighten your neck and shoulders until it feels like you are carrying the weight of the world.
It would be nice to have a massage therapist on call to work away the tightness and help you reach a few moments of relaxation. Unfortunately, massage therapy can be expensive and they aren’t on-call.
There are a few techniques you can use to help work away those achy knots on your own.
Find a quiet place where you can relax for a few minutes. It is not feasible to try these natural, self remedies for stress with the TV blaring, kids running around tugging at you, or other excessive stimuli in the room. All you need is a few minutes alone.
Relieve Neck and Shoulder Stress that Causes Headaches
In order to relive headaches caused by stress you need to apply pressure to your craniosacral still point. That is the place at the the base of your skull in the proximity of the spine and skull connection. In other words, it is approximately in line with the base of your ears.
There are at least three ways to apply pressure to this spot. One is to have a friend positioned above your head. They can use two fingertips to apply pressure and gently pull on your head to stretch and elongate the spine and relieve pressure on the neck and shoulders.
If you are on your own, toss two tennis balls into a sock and tie them off. Tie the socks securely enough so that the tennis balls don’t have wiggle room. Place the sock, tennis balls positioned side by side, beneath your head in the same area of your neck, approximately even with your earlobes. You will be able to adjust your homemade tool for maximum comfort and to help relieve pressure causing your headache.
If stress and tension headaches are a common problem, you may want to order a chiropractic device known as still point inducer or DaVinci tool. It is a prefabricated device with two pressure points, like the tennis balls, some still point inducers are firm and made of foam. Other still point inducers are more rigid and made of plastic. Both can be purchased through Amazon.com. They are used in the same way as the tennis balls to relieve craniosacral and spinal pressure.
Gently Stretch Your Neck and Shoulders to Relieve Stress Headaches
There are a number of yoga moves to effectively relieve pressure and pain related stress in your back, neck, and shoulders.
All you need is anything across which to stretch your lumbar. A tightly rolled towel, chiropractic lumbar support device, a BOSU Balance Trainer which is basically a balance ball that has been cut in half with solid support on the back, or a foam yoga roll will work. The important thing is that you are able to support your lumbar.
Place your lumbar support just above the small of your back and extend backward to stretch your spine. Relax in this position for ten to twenty minutes or longer if possible.
Massage Your Own Back to Relive Back and Neck Tension and Headaches
Massaging your own back may sound impossible, but it isn’t as difficult as you may think. With a little ingenuity on your part you’ll have the procedure mastered in no time.
You’ll need a foam yoga roller or a very tightly rolled towel for the most effective self back massage. You can also use your homemade tennis ball device, which works, but is not as comfortable as a roller or towel.
Place the towel or yoga roller beneath your shoulder blades horizontal to your body. Roll slowly up and down over shoulder blades to the craniosacral point of your neck. Push up slightly with on your heels in order to roll comfortably, but do not tighten up any body muscles. The idea is to relax and release tension.
The towel or yoga roller can also be placed vertically along your spin while you roll side to side massaging your back and loosening your spine.
Relieve Stress and Tension Headaches by Relaxing
Whether a quiet room, warm bath, or in a room with soothing music, spend time in a quiet place for twenty to thirty minutes. Breathe deeply and clear your mind. Try not to let the stressful thoughts and activity bully their way into your mind and your relaxation time.
As you relax consciously tighten and release your shoulders to help relieve stress. For the last ten minutes of your stress detox try to be completely still and quiet.
Use as Many Therapies as it Takes to Relieve Tension and Headache Pain
If you have ever suffered from headache or neck and shoulder pain due to stress you know that it can be extremely painful, to the point of interfering with your daily life responsibilities. Any of the techniques above can be combined to help relieve stress and tension headaches.
If stress headaches continue for more than two to three days and these techniques do not help alleviate them visit a chiropractor to have your spinal alignment checked. Do not allow headaches to continue without consulting a doctor.
*This information is not intended to substitute for medical advice. See a doctor as necessary for persistent problems or concerns.
