Headaches And Neck Pain

July 19th, 2009 by Nicholas Somerville

Living with a headache is hard enough but when it spreads to your neck and restricts movement it is so much worse.

No one wants to stop for a headache and neck pain, so below are my three top tips for managing the pain.

1.Drink Plenty Of Fluids ” It is believed that as many as ninety five percent of all headaches are caused by de hydration. Water is free, so you should use it as your first medication.

2. Heat and Cold – It is important to release the muscles in your neck to alleviate this pain. The best way to achieve this is with hot and cold compresses. Alternate these until the muscles start to relax and then gently move the head around to stretch the muscles.

3.Review Your Lifestyle – Changing your life is a long process, but there is no doubt that headaches are a lifestyle symptom. Headaches can be caused by stress, environmental factors or even by certain foods. It is important to isolate what causes your headaches. A good way to do this is the keep a diary. For every headache you should write down where you where, the environment (hot, cold, office, dinner party, etc) and also what you had eaten that day or the night before. Eventually a pattern will emerge – don’t expect to see this after just a couple of headaches it can take a while.

Headaches and neck pain can feel like a life sentence, but with careful management you can change you life in such a way as to reduce these symptoms.

Taking positive steps is important. Once you start to take back control then you may want to look into some of the alternative therapies which are available. Changing your life is always better than medicating your life.

Always bare in mind that a healthy lifestyle and a relaxed and happy mood will help your headaches and neck pains.