In the article we will consider exercises for headaches.
Each of us faces such an unpleasant phenomenon as pain in the head during our lives. This phenomenon can greatly complicate the life of a person and his full-fledged activity, deprive him of his ability to work. There are quite a few reasons for the appearance of such an unpleasant symptom as headache, as well as ways to deal with it. Pharmacies offer painkillers, antispasmodics, various drugs to strengthen blood vessels and improve blood circulation.
There is another way to stop the pain in the head. We are talking about performing special exercises for headaches, aimed at relieving spasm and tension in the muscles of the neck.
Description
Quite often, the appearance of pain in the head is manifested in conjunction with numbness of the neck. In most cases, the neck becomes numb from stiffness, weakness, or overexertion of the muscles. Sometimes there is a losssensitivity on one side.
Headache exercises are aimed at stretching tight muscles and relaxing them. When performing therapeutic exercises, you must remember the following recommendations:
1. Listen carefully to your own feelings. Stretching should not require much effort or overexertion.
2. Joints and muscles become more flexible after stretching exercises. Stretching should be done both before and after the main set of exercises.
3. Stretch slowly.
Exercising
Exercises for headaches in cervical osteochondrosis, which can relieve muscle spasm, stop overstrain, are performed easily and naturally, without effort and lengthy preparation. The following exercises are considered the most effective for eliminating headaches:
1. Pressing your palms to the back of the head, push your head forward, while resisting movement. Hold the pose for 5 seconds, then slowly relax. The exercise is performed in three circles three times.
2. Place your hand on one side of your head. Overcoming resistance, you need to get your ear to your shoulder. You can help yourself with your hand. Hold in the pose for 5 seconds, then relax and repeat on the other side. The exercise is also performed in three circles on each side alternately.
3. Place both hands on the forehead. Push your head back with resistance. Hold the pose for a few seconds, then relax andrepeat three times in three circles.
4. Put your right hand on your left temple and try to turn your chin to your right shoulder, while resisting. Repeat on the other side. Repeat three rounds three times in each direction.
What other headache exercises are there?
Exercises to relieve muscle spasm
Often the cause of pain is cervical osteochondrosis. To relieve muscle spasm and thereby relieve pain, you can perform the following exercises:
1. Standing or sitting, you need to slowly lower your head as low as possible. Then, also slowly, the head returns to its original position and leans back. It is very important to pay attention to areas where crackling, clicking or pain occurs. The exercise is repeated six times. If pain persists after doing gymnastics, you should consult a doctor and have an examination of the upper part of the spinal column.
2. Turning the head to the left, then to the right. In this case, attention should be paid to the differences between the sensations in one side of the neck and in the other. In each position, you need to linger for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat six times.
3. Gently bring your shoulders forward, repeat six times. When performing the exercise, tension is felt in the back of the neck muscles.
4. In a sitting or standing position, lower your chin to your chest. Hold the pose for five seconds and relax the muscles, repeat six times. Tension felt in the upper backand neck.
5. Sitting in a comfortable position, interlace your fingers behind your head. Lean forward slowly, pushing your head with your hands until your neck muscles are stretched. Return to starting position, repeat six times.
On the benefits of stretching
Stretching helps tone the muscles, and doing exercises for headaches increases their endurance. If a person has weak neck muscles, therapeutic exercises will be very useful. In the case of knotty muscles, stretching helps to improve the overall condition of the person.
Breathing technique
There are also special exercises for headaches and tension.
In the vast majority of cases, pain in the head occurs due to overexertion of the muscles of the back and neck. Yoga offers a number of simple exercises, including breathing, that will help you quickly and effectively deal with pain. So, the following breathing exercises stand out, which even a beginner can perform.
Purge energy channels
Sitting on the floor, you need to take any comfortable position and completely relax the whole body. Next, one nostril is closed with a finger of the hand and a two-minute slow and deep inhalation and exhalation of air is carried out through the free nostril. Then the nasal passages change and the cycle repeats. The exercise is performed until the pain in the head subsides.
Cooling breath
Sitting in the lotus position, you need to straighten your back, stick out your tongue, turninginto a tube and systematically, breathe as deeply as possible. Inhalation is made through the mouth, exhalation through the nose with a tightly closed mouth cavity. The exercise is repeated until relief is obtained in the head.
These two simple exercises will help provide oxygen to the body, including the brain, and eliminate tension and spasm, thereby relieving pain.
Yoga exercises for headaches
Yoga involves performing exercises aimed at eliminating stiffness and spasm in different parts of the body. Let's take a look at a few options that can help relieve headaches:
1. The following exercise will help relieve tension from the neck with a headache from osteochondrosis: sitting on the floor and cross-legged or on a chair with legs apart, pull your right hand to your right knee or hold on to a chair, your left hand is placed on your head and gently tilts it to the left side. It is important to hold the knee or the chair. The delay in the pose should be at least one minute, after which the sides change and the exercise is performed again.
2. Clamps in the shoulders can also cause pain in the head. To eliminate tension, you need to sit on the floor, bend your legs and spread them apart. The big toes should be placed opposite each other. A deep breath is taken, and as you exhale, you should stretch forward, stretching the spine. At the peak of the stretch, you should linger for a few seconds. Next, the arms are extended, connected to the castle at the feet and stretched up as high as possible. As you exhale, lower your arms and shift your body weight forward and lift your hips. Fixing the position ona few seconds, relax and repeat 5-10 more times depending on the capabilities of the physical plane.
3. The condition of the back and vertebrae is beneficially affected by an exercise called “dog looking down”. To do this, you should stand in a triangle pose, resting your feet and palms on the floor, the tailbone looks up. While inhaling, lower your elbows to the floor, while exhaling, raise your hips. Do not take your feet off the floor, they should be completely pressed. The head is down, the neck is relaxed. Do 5-6 breaths.
4. A special exercise is also provided to relieve tension from the lower part of the spine. Lying on the floor, you should bend your legs and clasp your feet with your hands. Next, the knees are slowly divorced and lowered to the armpits. Swinging to the sides, you should hold out in the pose for as long as possible.
5. After the complex is completed, the muscles are relaxed. To do this, the blanket is rolled up and placed against the wall. Lying on your back facing the wall and putting your buttocks on the pillow, you need to raise your legs to a vertical position and put them against the wall. The legs are slowly and systematically spread apart as wide as possible, the position is fixed for 30 seconds. Next, the legs are brought together, bent at the knees. The exercise is repeated 5-10 times.
Yoga practices have proven that all systems and parts of the body in our body are interconnected. By relieving tension from the entire spine, it will be possible to get rid of the headache problem. These exercises are simple to perform, but effective enough to relieve tension and stretch the spine and muscles.
Through this, the bloodbegins to circulate better and provide the brain with oxygen, thereby expanding blood vessels and eliminating pain. However, yoga is not for everyone and some people should not do this practice.
Contraindications
Do not do neck exercises for headaches in the following cases:
- In the presence of diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
- Malignant tumors, including on the spine.
- Against the background of colds.
- At elevated body temperature.
If a person has one of the above problems, coupled with a headache, you should visit a specialist. Otherwise, yoga is not dangerous.
Conclusion
Regardless of the cause of the pain in the head, before taking a pill, it makes sense to try the listed exercises. Perhaps the cause of discomfort lies in problems with the spine or tense muscles that should be relaxed.
We reviewed the most popular headache relief exercises.
