Headache Relief
Always Be Relaxed To Keep Headache At Bay
There are three major types of relaxation techniques:
Autogenic training. Utilizes visual imaging and bodily awareness to advance the
patient into a state of deep relaxation. The patient imagines a tranquil
location, then begins focusing physical sensations that gradually move
upward from the feet toward the head.
Progressive muscle relaxation. Involves the slow tensing up and then releasing of
each muscle group individually, beginning with the muscles in the toes and
finishing with the head.
Meditation. Uses either Transcendental Meditation involving the repetition of a mantra,
mindfulness meditation in which patients focus their attention on their momentary thoughts
and sensations.
Research has shown that in many cases meditation improves one’s
quality of life, while reducing stress. Studies also reveal that relaxation techniques
assist in the reduction of the perception of pain. One study using patients undergoing
colorectal surgery concluded that patients who listened to guided-imagery tapes before,
during, and after the operation had less pain and needed fewer pain medications than
those who did not. Meditation is also used extensively in treating post-traumatic stress
disorder. In addition, relaxation techniques have been found useful in
strengthening coping skills in migraine sufferers.
Fortunately, relaxation techniques can be done just about anywhere at any time. These
techniques include:
Deep breathing
Active relaxation
Stretching exercises
Visualization
Passive relaxation
Deep breathing: Simply breathe in deeply through the nose, letting your
stomach expand as much as possible. It may be helpful to place your
hands firmly & comfortably on your stomach during the exercise. Once
you’ve breathed in as much as possible, hold your breath for a few
seconds & then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this for 3 or 4
breaths several times a day.
Active relaxation: First tense, then relax each muscle in the body. Start with the
muscles in the head & move down to the muscles in the feet.
Stretching exercises simple and easy and can be literally anywhere. It’s a
wonderful way to loosen up tight muscles and combat stress. Muscle tension is an
automatic physical response to stress and the benefit of simple stretching exercises
is often overlooked as a relaxation technique.
Another relaxation technique that can help to reduce stress is clearing the mind or
visualization. Visualization is a type of directed meditation that
involves using the mind’s eye to clear away mental clutter or to
actually visualize how a stressful situation can be handled
successfully. Picturing the stressful situation in your mind such as a
business presentation or an athletic performance & then visually
rehearsing the outcome does this. Visualization techniques also may be
used to imagine a peaceful scene such as ocean waves lapping on the
beach to create relaxation.
Meditation & self-hypnosis are passive relaxation techniques that can be used to
create relaxation. Four elements are used in meditation: a quiet environment, a point of
focus like a neutral word that can help with concentration, a passive,
accepting attitude & a comfortable position.
Meditation once or twice a day for 10-20 minutes each time can bring rapid relief from
chronic stress & also increase a person’s ability to tolerate stress.
Learning ways to help yourself relax can have many benefits, perhaps the most
important of which is developing a feeling of confidence about facing
the everyday challenges of life, including helping to:
Reduce
unhealthy stress & anxiety
Increase resistance to illness & disease
Lower blood pressure
Reduce the heart rate
Relieve muscle tension
Cope with medical problems, such as chronic pain or diabetes
Prevent, manage & cope with migraine headaches
Cope with extremely stressful or painful situations, such as childbirth.
Relaxation techniques are also considered very safe with delightful lack of side
effects, although there have been very rare and unusual cases where
people have actually raised their levels of anxiety rather than lowered
them after using the techniques because of a heightened awareness of
body sensations. Even more rare are the reports of pain, heart
palpitations, muscle twitching, and crying spells.