Does your head hurt?

During our lifetime, almost all North Americans will experience headaches at some point. A headache can be due to tension, trauma, sinus issues, concussions, vision problems, ear or jaw issues, fatigue and dehydration. All of these, and more, can be the cause of pain in the head.

But what can we do??

1. Water

Drink more water– Water helps to flush the system and also aid production of the spinal fluid (CSF) needed to hydrate your brain

2. Healthy Food

Eat a healthy diet– Pain and inflammation go hand in hand. Sugar, unhealthy fats, and often grains and dairy contribute to inflammation. There is clinical evidence showing that good nutrition will ease pain, tension and decrease inflammation; even where you least expect it– in the brain!

3. Exercise and Mediation

Movement and mindfulness will help increase blood flow and circulation throughout the head which helps to regulate pressure on the brain

4. Sleep

Practice good sleep hygiene– We have so much interaction with the world during the day, we need quiet time to give our brains a chance to process all that has taxed us. One of the main reasons we need sleep is to allow our brain to transfer thoughts and experiences from our day into long term memory stores. Sleeping is the only way the brain can make that transformation as well as increasing our healing functions, so turn off the cell phone!

5. Healing

Get extra help– Often massage, physiotherapy and manual therapy can go a long way to easing tensions in and around the brain and spinal column. Integrative Manual Therapy is a gentle, non-invasive mode of helping the body, not only to heal from injury, but to facilitate restoration of balance and equilibrium in order for the brain to regulate pressure.

There is much more to our heads and brains than we might realize. While we might not be able to control everything- for example, car accidents…suffering from frequent headaches should not be part of our life; everything positive that we can do to help be pain free, is worth the trouble!