Muscular Tension Headaches

[Almighty Jim]

Originally Posted by selena

Anyone else get these?

My neck and shoulders stay so taut that it feels like someone has shoved an I beam under my skin. I get headaches as a result.

I try lots of calming techniques, but it doesn't seem to do much good with that particular issue. Because I can be very calm and relaxed mentally, and I still have that physical tension.

It's bad enough that I don't even think getting laid would take care of it.

I've heard beta blockers mentioned somewhere but I've yet to take the time to research it. I'd really like to avoid script drugs anyhow. They've had me on just about everything there is in the mood/anxiety range, and none of it has ever done me much good. With the exception of xanax, which they are now cunty about giving me. And it didn't really reduce muscular tension.

Selena, I know what you mean about the pills. They just seem to work temporarily or not at all or have unpleasant side effects.
If a warm oil massage of your neck and shoulders by a trained professional is not available then here is something drug free that my wife used after going through tons of pain medication after a car wreck that affected those areas.

It's called a chin harness and it can be found at most medical supply stores. It was prescribed by the leading neck and back orthopaedic specialist in GA. The device is simple. It consists of a strap harness that fits comfortably around your head and has a cord that runs through a pully which you attach to the top of any closet door in your house. At the other end of the cord is a plastic/rubber bag that you add water to(about a gallon or 8lbs.) and that provides the weight that will gently pull up on your whole head and neck.

You just sit on the floor in front of your closet door in a meditation position and attach the harness and sit for 10 minutes three times a day. Do this for about a week and not only will the pain go away but the problem will be taken care of too. It really is simple and effective and I've seen the results firsthand. Hope you feel better, just tryin to help.

I swear it's not an S&M device.

[Funbrunette]

I get them once in a while and it's hell! I feel your pain...I tried relaxing methods, balms and the only thing that seems to work is the pills... My doctor told me stress is the culprit! Well what do you do?!? Life is stressful so I figured I'd pack up a few bathing suits sell my house, my car and go braid hair on the beaches in mexico (how stressful can that be? lol) Care to join me?

[MorganGrayson]

My doctor took the approach much more like Jim's wife's doctor. "Tension headache" is literal. It isn't "tension" as in "anxiety," it's "tension" as in "tightness." The way I think of it when it happens to me is "my head is on too tight." It can come from injury, posture...the ever popular "of course you've hurt yourself if you spend that much time on the computer!" (My own personal favorite.) I had real splitters, agonizing headaches, until my yearly optometrist visit came around and my eye doctor said "you do WHAT for a living? People who wear bifocals can't use a computer!!!!" And thusly my "computer glasses" came into being. (I can see clearly exactly 27 inches away from the bridge of my nose in those things. No closer, no farther. But...the headaches stopped.) I had been attempting to maneuver my head into the oddest positions to see the monitor without realizing it.

[gigi]

I get both tension headaches and migraines...I can sooo relate!

I'm one of the lucky ones that can use Tylenol and within 20 minutes the pain is gone....but, this is just a band-aid really...it disguises the pain, but the muscle tension is still there.

I do use some relaxation techniques, but one thing that I really try to work on is my posture when I'm on the computer. I can't count how many times I all of a sudden realize that I have my shoulders covering my ears...haha. Everytime I notice, I push my shoulders downward...this has made my tension headaches dissipate in numbers.

Migraines are another thing all together....although I'm lucky with those too because most of the time I get the 'aura of a migraine' first (bright spot in my eyes that gets larger over 20 minutes or so) before the actual pain comes on and I take a tylenol right away...wait until the aura is gone so I can see again, and then I'm good to go.

If you don't want to do the meds thing...find a good relaxation technique you can do easily and quickly and stick to it for a while...or maybe some aromatherapy....try a mix of lavender and peppermint and rub it into your forehead, temples, neck and shoulders....