How to Get Rid of Tension Headaches, According to Experts

Tension and stress often lead to headaches. We asked five experts how tension headaches can be relieved.

That’s what the neurologist says

Unfortunately, there is no method that simply conjures away the pain. Many people struggle with a long ordeal and unconventional procedures before they see a doctor. Successful treatment requires an active and informed patient. Stress, anxiety, depression, muscle tension, teeth grinding, taking medication too frequently – these are all factors that can trigger tension headaches.

In general, learning relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, training to cope with stress and regular endurance sports are useful. For the acute treatment of intermittent tension headaches, I recommend a headache medication such as Aspirin 1000 milligrams, Paracetamol 1000 milligrams or Ibuprofen 400 milligrams. The effect lasts for up to about four hours, and then it can be repeated, but not more than four times a day. This dosage can be taken up to ten days a month, but a doctor should always be consulted after four days. Before taking the medication, you should read and observe the contraindications on the package insert. Also effective is ten-percent peppermint oil in an alcoholic solution, which can be applied directly to the painful areas of the head.
(Professor Hartmut Göbel, Director and Chief Physician of the Kiel Pain Clinic)

This is what the TCM doctor says

In the case of acute tension headaches, one can calmly press with some force for three to five seconds into the hollow between the neck muscles at the transition to the occipital bone (acupuncture point gall bladder 20). Pressing several times with the middle fingers into the hollow in the temples and applying tiger balm to the temples can also help.

It is also important to pay attention to your diet. Irregular eating, excessive consumption of hot food, pungent spices such as curry and pepper, regular consumption of alcohol and an excess of fats and baked foods can lead to tension headaches. In the case of chronic pain, we recommend not drinking coffee at all. In addition, Traditional Chinese Medicine advises to eat certain foods that have a harmonizing effect on the liver functions. According to our theory, the cause of tension headaches is often a congested liver energy. Recommended foods include chrysanthemum tea (from the pharmacy), tomatoes, strawberries and mandarins.

We also think it is useful to learn the concentrative breathing and movement therapy Qi-Gong; it improves the energy and blood flow in the body and leads to deep relaxation through light movement. If this does not improve the symptoms, we recommend a series of ten to 15 acupuncture treatments by an experienced TCM doctor, possibly in combination with a Chinese herbal therapy. For this purpose, an energetic TCM diagnosis should be carried out with the help of tongue and pulse diagnosis to determine the exact type of headache.
(Acupuncture Professor Shuhui Ma (Peking University) from the TCM Clinic Bad Kötzting)

What the osteopath says

In my experience, the temporomandibular joint and the associated chewing muscles very often play a role in tension headaches. The trigger can be a false bite. But much more often it is stress that leads to teeth grinding and clenching. Often the affected persons do not even feel the tension in their chewing muscles because it has gradually built up over a long period of time.

Relaxation is achieved by the following exercise: Sit upright on a chair and lean comfortably against it. Place the palms of your hands gently on your cheeks, the index fingers are directly in front of your ear. The jaws should hang loosely so that the teeth do not touch. Does one side under the hands feel more tense? If so, you should try to remove even more tension from this side. In the next step, both hands exert a light pull towards the floor. This pull should be very gentle, the hands should not slide down on the skin. If the mouth opens a little bit, that is fine. After about 30 seconds, you should feel the chewing muscles relax and a slight, pleasant stretch at the back of the jaw joints. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position, put your hands down and feel. The exercise can be repeated several times.

However, the cause of headaches is not necessarily always in the head region. The human body forms an inseparable unit with anatomical and functional connections. The region that causes the pain can be far away. A fall on the coccyx can also be felt in the head.
(Birgit Höly, Osteopath D. O. and alternative practitioner from Munich)

So says the yoga teacher

Tension headaches are, from the point of view of yoga, a combination of mental and muscular tensions, which we can approach with the yogic basic principle “to calm the mind”. This small first aid program can be done almost anywhere. It would be nice to go to a quiet place, but with a little practice it can also be done in the office or during a short walk across the hall.

First you should find a head position in which the tension in the neck is as low as possible. To do this, move your head back and forth slightly, tilt your chin gently towards your throat or lift it a little. Now consciously relax the mouth area, cheeks and jaw joints. Starting from this head position you start with very small movements. They can be so small that they are hardly noticed by others. You can imagine, for example, that the nose is a brush that paints small circles, spirals or lying eights on an imaginary blackboard. Take a break from time to time to check if the head position is still free of tension.

Such small movements can relax the neck muscles. By practicing a pleasantly light head posture, the awareness of incorrect posture is sharpened. In addition, this way one can release a few moments from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. In order to relieve tension headaches permanently and in the long term with yoga, regular practice under the guidance of a good yoga teacher is the right way.
(Angelika Beßler, Chairperson of the Board of the Professional Association of Yoga Teachers in Germany (BDY))

What the naturopath says

From a naturopathic point of view, tension headaches are primarily a question of why: What causes tension? Is it the job, is it the many demands of everyday life? All forms of relaxation are helpful, especially for the neck. I recommend to rub the neck with aconite pain oil and to lay a warm and humid cloth and a hot water bottle or a grain pillow over it. This can be done daily, preferably in the evening, so that the muscles can relax overnight.

Caution: Headaches that occur at night are rarely tension headaches, and their causes must be urgently clarified by a doctor. I can also recommend Biodolor, a homeopathic complex remedy. It acts directly on the headache tendency. In acute cases, one tablet can be taken six to eight times a day or ten drops five to six times a day. In the pharmacy you can have a herbal tea mixed from 20 grams of lemon balm leaves, valerian root, lavender flowers, willow bark, passion flower, rosemary leaves and feverfew. Add half a litre of water to three teaspoons of this mixture, leave to infuse for three to five minutes and drink in sips throughout the day or evening. This relaxes the muscles and detoxifies.

Acupuncture, Bach flower remedies, moxa cigars or blood injections can also help. However, an individual consultation is necessary for this. If the pain does not subside over a longer period of time, a neurologist should always be consulted.
(Katrin Anna Speidel, alternative practitioner and homeopath from Hamburg)