tension headaches

[steph29]

anyone else get them , i've had one for 2 weeks solid and painkillers don't work, any advice please?

go and see a massage therapist. not a softy strokey one, a therapeutic one - they will be able to release the muscle tension in your neck and shoulders that is contributing to your headache.

I am a massage therapist - I can fix my clients' headaches.

I had one once that lasted weeks, i really sympathise it was horrid. Eventually i saw a doctor who gave me some muscle relaxants and it went soon after taking them.

Try a visit to an osteopath - could be that there's an underlying neck/shoulder/back problem that your muscles are compensating for.

Re painkillers, have you tried Syndol? You can get it over the counter. It has a muscle relaxant in it which could help you.

Agree with all of the above. I get killer tension headaches too and it's always related to muscle problems in my neck and shoulders. Would see massage therapist rather than osteo initially as think it will bring the most immediate relief. If you have a hot water bottle, stick that on the base of your neck or over shoulders too.

A good osteopath will start off with a massage anyway, to relax all the muscles - and only then will move on to the joints/bones.

Certainly agree about massage - I've found aromatherapy ones best - but everyone is different.

Friend of mine suffers badly and finds acupuncture works for her. In some areas can it on NHS.

Good luck

I get them, they are horrid. I get a constant pain at teh base of my skull and into my jaws. From there it goes up and around my head. They can last for weeks
Have never thought about massage, not sure it is something I would enjoy / tolerate (the thought of it makes me more tense)
Syndol works for me but makes me very very drowsy, so can only take that at night.

hippi - the sort of massage I am recommending may not tally with your idea of it - it is more like physio, tbh. And although, if you have really tense muscles, it might be a bit painful, the relief it provides is usually well worth the bit of pain. Most of my clients call it "good pain" anyway - even though it hurts, they can feel the release and actually cope well with it BECAUSE they know it is helping.

just a thought - if you really don't like the idea of massage of any kind, you could try cranial osteopathy - it doesn't involve any massage or cracking but has amazing effects for releasing tension.

I get them a lot. I try and drink more and just wait for them to go.

thanks everyone i feel so much better just knowing it's not just me being a whimp, my dp is getting bored of me complaining about it i had head pain from may till october constsntly last year and went to see an oesteopath 6 or 7 times - i just felt worse after i'd been and she kept saying to go back every 2 weeks and i couldn't afford to keep paying out especially as it wasn't helping(i hated the popping of the joints in my neck she did as well) The guilt of spending money on it made me feel worse!

Anyone tried an indian head massage?

syndol work for this but make you a bit drowsy so good to take in the evenings and in combination with a hot bath are miracle workers

Thanks Thumblovewitch
It is the cracking and the shouting ouch that worries me (I have watched dh have treatment for his persistent sore back adn it just looked sooo painful...)
Plus, when I have a tension headache I just cannot bear to move my head so the thought of someone manipulating and stretching my neck is horrifying [shudder]

I would love to find a herbal/healthy tablet which would magic it all away.
In fact the only time I had a let-up in my tension headaches was when I was on AD's for anxiety and depression. But have been tablet free for nearly two years and don't want to go back on them. (I don't feel I need them at the moment [smile)

Syndol works for me I can take 1 during the day without being too sleepy, take 2 at night.

Try to keep your jaws relaxed, make sure your tongue in resing lighty in the roof of you mouth, this will stop your jaw from clenching. Some pilates work up exercises help. Push your thumb under the sticky out bone at the back of your skull (I'm not medically trained, can you tell?) Hold it for a minute and release. Rub your big toes and ask your DH to give your neck and shoulders a massage.

thought i'd answered this - is there two threads on it? [boggles]

Syndol has always worked for me. It has a muscle relaxant in it. Very good stuff. Co-codamol doesnt even work for my tension headaches.

Have to agree about Syndol - discovered it last week after it was recommended by a pharmacist and it's the only painkiller that has ever worked for me. ( My headaches got so bad I was referred for an MRI, plus spent hundreds on an osteopath to no effect.)

Really, try massage. Sometimes it is the muscles and not the neck alignment that causes the problem - and therefore osteopathy won't always fix it. And often it is tension in the shoulders travelling up the big trapezius muscles into the neck that causes the problem, so massaging the shoulder muscles helps to alleveiate the tension all round.

Oh, if only I could do virtual massage for people! you'd soon feel better.

I know people who swear by Indian head massage - personally I passed out when I had it done but then I think I had low blood pressure at the time.

Trouble is that everything "extra" is so expensive unless your gp can prescribe alternative medicine on NHS - some can I believe - these things never happen to me.. sob

I get particularly irritated by people who say the cure is to take the tension out of your life - take life more calmly etc etc - don't the wretched people have children, bills, jobs in jeopardy etc.... I mean ..... we all know that but get real.... fume fume.....