Headaches affect MILLIONS of Americans. Many patients come to my office wanting to work on their sleep or digestion and when I ask about headaches they say, "Oh, yeah, I have that too." It can happen so frequently and for so long that people think headaches are normal. You need to know you don't have to live with them and that they aren't normal. It's the body's way of signaling that there's something wrong. It's like the alarm system going off in a building but instead it's not a building, it's your body and the alarm is your head.
When you do have a headache people feel that they have two choices, either pop an over-the-counter pain killer or push through it by either ignoring it or sleeping it off.
If you choose to pop a pill the most common are Aspirin and Ibuprofen. But shockingly, these can actually lead to more problems in the long run. First off, multiple studies have shown these so-called “fixes” wreak havoc on your gut and digestion. And according to the acclaimed Mayo Clinic: Aspirin and Ibuprofen can actually cause you to have more headaches down the line. These headaches are called “rebound headaches.” And in a lot of cases, they’re MUCH worse than the original headache you set out to fix.
When you start feeling a headache the first question you should ask yourself is, "Am I dehydrated?" Dehydration is a very common reason for a headache. For the average person I usually suggest drinking 3 liters of water a day.
If you realize the headache could be due to stress the fastest, easiest thing to do is stop everything and take 3 deep breaths. Breathing helps get the body out of the stress mode, by calming down the nervous system and not getting stuck in the 'fight or flight' mode. Coherent Breathing is an easy method to continue to get the stress off the body.
Another way to soothe a headache is not in your breath but in the palm of your hand. It’s called the L-Zone and it acts like an “on/off switch” for headaches.
When you massage your L-Zone (it’s right above the knuckle of your thumb) this “signals” for increased blood flow to your head, neck, and shoulders. And according to the renowned Cleveland Clinic — this technique has the power to soothe tense muscles and greatly relieve tension headaches.
Here’s how you massage the L-Zone:
- Breathe in and out deeply for 10 seconds
- Take your right hand and make it into the shape of a gun, or an “L”
- Using your left hand, find the middle of the “L” (the meaty “web” of your palm between your thumb and pointer)
- Then, apply moderate pressure to that spot with your thumb and pointer finger, and massage for 20-30 seconds
- Repeat as needed to soothe headaches, as well as relieve neck and shoulder tension
Bonus: For increased effectiveness, apply ice to the L-Zone after massaging.Warning: Do not massage L-Zone if pregnant.
So even though I hope you never have to deal with a headache in the first place these simple tricks of drinking water, deep breathing and massaging the L-Zone can help!
Also all three tips are a great preventative measure too. So even if you don’t have a headache, give your L-Zone a quick 20-second massage, be aware of breathing from your diaphragm and make sure you drink enough water throughout the day.
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