A Must Read For Those With Frequent Headaches And Migraines
- Jeremy Tarwater PT, DPT
- Nov 14, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated November 2nd, 2022
Hydration / Sleep / Exercise / Conclusion
Introduction
This article was created for people who experience anything from an occasional headache to a frequent migraine that knocks one out for a whole day or more. The reason why headaches are so debilitating and difficult to get rid of is because there can be so many causes for them. A physical therapist can treat a few of these causes, but I plan to provide resources and information from other health professionals below to help you with all areas of headache prevention and recovery.
Headache vs. Migraine
Headaches are just a small problem compared to the beast of migraines. Migraines involve more than just the pain, with symptoms including: dizziness, fever, sweating, light/noise sensitivity, fatigue, etc. Physical therapy can be very effective for reducing headaches, but migraines often require help from other areas of healthcare as well. If you are experiencing more than a headache and having migraines frequently, check out this amazing website built by Dr. Josh Turknett. He is a Neurologist who specializes in headaches/migraines and does a wonderful job educating both patients and healthcare providers (1).
Types of Headaches
There are four main types of headaches:
Sinus - pain or swelling in the face, around the eyes or ears.
Tension - dull pain or pressure across the forehead.
Migraine-like - very intense pain on one side of the face.
Cluster - grouped around one eye, often lasts for days to months
To be honest with you, the type of headache you have is not the main concern. It also will not likely affect your treatment needs. There are some sources out there that state specific remedies are needed for each of the 100 types of headaches, but those remedies aren’t proven in research. What IS proven in research is that diet, sleep quality, exercise, and physical therapy can be useful in the prevention and treatment of headaches (2).
Nutrition
I personally made my own health journey over the past few years, which has led to a massive decrease in the headaches I experience. While I plan to let my resources do the talking for me on this aspect, I do have a few basic things to tell you that worked for me.
Without getting too nerdy, think about what our body does when we put food in our mouths. The food begins to move down the digestive tract and gets broken down so we can either use the nutrients for our body or excrete them. The brain must help this digestive system work properly. So during the time of digestion, the brain is unable to focus on other important things like pain from a headache. So if we eat foods that are difficult to digest, the brain has to work a lot harder to help this digestion process along. This is time and energy that could’ve been spent helping to heal your headache.
Take a look at the links below as they will teach you which foods are easier or more difficult to digest. Not only will this help your headaches, it will also help your gut health, your sleep, your motivation, and your overall health (3).
Read further with my article: The Secret Guide To Living An Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle and this handout created by the University of Wisconsin-Madison (4).
Hydration
Water is by far the most underrated medicine, supplement, beverage, and healer out there. Our bodies are made up of 60% water, which means we need to maintain that level to keep optimal function. Studies have found that even a 2% drop of our hydration level can cause a headache (5). So if you suffer from headaches but drink coffee and energy drinks all day, maybe you should reconsider. It is recommended for people to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day and a lot of people don’t even come close to that. Make water your best friend, you won’t regret it I promise.
For more information on hydration, CLICK HERE
Sleep
Sleep is another topic that is very important. Although it is not directly treated by physical therapists, sleep is very important for recovery from any injury, including headaches. While we sleep, our brain basically goes through a wash cycle. During the cycle, the brain cleanses itself, finishes up digestion, and prepares our body for the next day. This is when headaches can either get better or a lot worse, depending on your quality of sleep.
Most people don’t believe they have an issue with their sleep. Their head hits the pillow, they fall asleep, and they wake up the next day. What could be wrong there? The problem is that the brain cleanse occurs during the deepest parts of sleep. If your body isn’t properly prepared for sleep or you are still digesting from that late dinner or snack, then you may not reach the deeper levels of sleep (also known as the R.E.M. Cycles) (6).
I have provided resources below that go more in depth into this information, please don’t skip over the section even if you think your sleep is perfect.
Shawn Stevenson, creator of the model health show, specializes in helping people improve their sleep and eliminate headaches! CLICK HERE to learn more.
Exercise
Though exercise isn’t the only way to prevent and cure headaches, it is the way a physical therapist can be the most helpful. PTs can lead you through exercise programs that help stretch tight muscles or strengthen weak ones that may be causing tension in your neck and headaches as a result. The most important thing you can do to prevent headaches is MOVE. The body was created to be in motion and when we sit for too long, everything becomes tight and sore including our heads. I have shared a few videos below of some important exercises as well as some tips to keep you moving throughout the day!! (7).
Mindfulness
Since you all know by now that I don’t hold back helpful information from you, I want to let you in on another one of my secrets to avoiding and releasing headaches: Mindfulness. This is a topic that is not well known or practiced by many, mostly due to lack of knowledge about it or not believing that it can help you. I was in that same boat a few years ago. I had always heard of meditation and thought it was a joke. But once I experienced the power of meditation and mindfulness during my own times of pain or headaches, I was hooked quickly. I plan to write a few articles about mindfulness and meditation in the future so stay tuned. Actually, one research study found that mindfulness practice promotes effective heart rate regulation, which in turn helps the body recover from headaches (8). I did create a video for you below to get started on this journey without trying to look like Buddha sitting on a fancy pillow.
Conclusion
As someone who experiences headaches should very well know by now, the prevention and treatment of headaches can come from many facets of healthcare. I didn’t even mention medications, supplements, or the use of modalities like heat or ice. While some of those can be helpful in the short term for your headaches, the changes I talked about above are ways you can alter your lifestyle to prevent those debilitating headaches from coming back. I will continue to dive deeper into this subject in the future, mostly because I’m a nerd, but also because so many people are affected by headaches daily.
References
1. Start Here. My Migraine Miracle. Accessed November 2, 2022. https://www.mymigrainemiracle.com/
2. Shehadi D. 4 Common Types of Headaches - Symptoms & Duration. Neurosurgery Associates, LLC. Published June 20, 2020. https://www.drshehadi.com/4-common-types-of-headaches-symptoms-duration/
3. BIC Z, BLIX GG, HOPP HP, LESLIE FM, SCHELL MJ. The Influence of a Low-Fat Diet on Incidence and Severity of Migraine Headaches. Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine. 1999;8(5):623-630. doi:10.1089/jwh.1.1999.8.623
4. The Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle. https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/files/webfm-uploads/documents/outreach/im/handout_ai_diet_patient.pdf
5. Benelam B, Wyness L. Hydration and health: a review. Nutrition Bulletin. 2010;35(1):3-25. doi:10.1111/j.1467-3010.2009.01795.x
6. Sullivan DP, Martin PR, Boschen MJ. Psychological Sleep Interventions for Migraine and Tension-Type Headache: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Scientific Reports. 2019;9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-42785-8
7. Jull G, Trott P, Potter H, et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Exercise and Manipulative Therapy for Cervicogenic Headache. Spine. 2002;27(17):1835-1843. doi:10.1097/00007632-200209010-00004
8. Azam MA, Katz J, Mohabir V, Ritvo P. Individuals with tension and migraine headaches exhibit increased heart rate variability during post-stress mindfulness meditation practice but a decrease during a post-stress control condition – A randomized, controlled experiment. International Journal of Psychophysiology. 2016;110:66-74. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.10.011
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