THERAPEUTIC GYMNASTICS FOR HEADACHES If you have a few minutes of free time and the opportunity to retire, try performing a short set of therapeutic exercises. These exercises will help you get rid of headaches - Sit on a chair. Keep your back straight and your head freely, without effort, only tilt it towards your chest under the influence of gravity. Stay in this position for twenty seconds. Then break for half a minute. And again tilt for 20 seconds. Repeat 15-16 times. - While sitting or standing, raise your hands to your head. Press the thumbs of each hand to the upper zygomatic arches, and clasp the back of the head with the remaining fingers. Look up. As you inhale, try to tilt your head back for 10 seconds while holding it with your hands. As you exhale, look down for 6-8 seconds, tilt your head towards your chest as much as possible, stretching but not straining the neck muscles. Repeat the inhale-exhale cycle 5-6 times. Physical exercises and physical therapy - To relieve headaches coming from the cervical spine, do the following exercise: sitting on a chair, with one hand clasp your head from above on the side in which the pain is felt more strongly. The index finger should be approximately at the level of the beginning of the ear. With a slight effort of your hand, turn your head to the “healthy” side. Press your free palm from below to your chin and cheek. While inhaling for 10 seconds, looking down, press your chin against your lower palm against its resistance. As you exhale, relax for 6-8 seconds and look up. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times, slightly changing the turn of your head. - If the headache comes from the back of the head, then the third exercise will be as follows: sit down, keep your head straight or slightly tilted forward. Grab it from above with your hand, as in the previous exercise. With your middle finger, feel the pain point between the first vertebra and the skull. Press on it for one and a half to two minutes. Repeat 3-6 times. When the pain stops, stop the exercise. - Finally, perform a few acupuncture techniques. With the thumbs of both hands, feel pain points between the skull and the first vertebra. Massage the points with both thumbs in a circular motion clockwise 15 times. Then press the points for one and a half to two minutes. Now, with arms crossed, middle and ring fingers With both hands, for a minute, strongly massage the points at the end of the folds of the elbows from the outside and inside while simultaneously raising and lowering your arms. Break - a minute. Repeat up to 15 times. After this, press for one and a half to two minutes with a large or index finger to a point at the base of the nose, where the bridge of the nose ends and the mustache area begins. Then, for the same time, it is the turn of the point of intersection of the line of the thumb and index finger on the hand. To complete the exercise, apply pressure to the hollow point of the inner arch of the foot, which is formed when you bend your toes down, for up to two minutes.
If you have a headache, do not rush to take pills. They may save you from headaches, but they won’t improve your health - that’s for sure. So before you reach into the medicine cabinet, try a few yoga exercises that can cope with headaches better than pills.
The causes of headaches can be different. This could be a tight neck, hunched shoulders or back pain. The following poses help remove these problems and thus get rid of headaches. You don't have to do all 6. You can choose any one, and if it doesn't help, try another one. The main thing before this is to listen to your body and understand what else, besides your head, hurts.
Exercise No. 1
As I already said, sometimes headaches can be caused by tension in the cervical spine spine. Sitting in a comfortable position, put right hand on left side head and tilt your head slightly to the right.
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Hold this position for a few breaths and switch sides. While performing this exercise, the hand puts very little pressure on the head, stretching the cervical vertebrae.
Exercise No. 2
While performing this exercise, it is not at all necessary to place your foot completely on the floor (people with good stretching can do this).
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This pose helps relieve tension from your shoulders as your wrists and forearms bear the brunt of the stress, while increasing blood flow to your head.
Exercise #3
Another forward bending exercise that is ideal if your headache is caused by tension in your shoulders. Sit on the floor so that there is a small distance between your shins and they lie parallel to each other. Place your hands behind your back and slowly lean forward until your head touches the floor, forming a slightly modified child's pose.
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Stay in this position for about 5 counts and remember to breathe deeply. Move your arms back so that you feel a slight stretch in the chest, shoulders and back of the neck.
Exercise #4
This exercise stretches back neck and reduces tension in the back, which is also a common cause of headaches.
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When performing this exercise, do not place your hands too wide or too far from your back. This pose makes your head light and bright, stay in it for 5 counts. And if you feel comfortable enough in it, you can stay there a little longer.
Exercise #5
The pose is called “Happy Child” and it helps get rid of headaches caused by tightness in the back.
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Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms wrapped around your thighs or feet. outside. Stay in this position for a few minutes, maybe rocking a little from side to side and back and forth to increase the stretch in your hips and lower back.
Exercise #6
Place a blanket near the wall and take some pillows. Sit as close to the wall as possible, so that your pelvis and lower back are tightly against the folded towel. Lie on your back, lift your legs up and spread them to the sides as far as your tendons allow, and spread your arms out to the sides.
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Close your eyes and breathe calmly, stay in this pose as long as you feel comfortable.
Very often, a person resorts to using pills to reduce headaches. But this approach without consulting a doctor is frivolous in relation to your health. In cases where the headache appears as a result of tension in the neck, shoulders, or back, some physical exercise And breathing exercises. Unlike drugs, they do not have a harmful effect on the body.
Breathing exercises
Yoga for headaches is the safest and most effective way getting rid of headaches. Performing special exercises is not difficult: they are simple, they can be performed at any place and age.
- First you need to develop the neck in all directions. The arms are placed freely along the body. Sitting on a chair, you can take a lotus position, with your right hand reach your left ear on top of your head. Then, under pressure from the same hand, give your head an inclined position, and this exercise should be performed with little resistance. The duration of being in this state is about a minute. Then you need to repeat the same in the other direction. Care should be taken to avoid straining the neck muscles. If you feel pain during exercise, reduce the resistance. When performing a yoga exercise correctly, only muscle tension should be felt.
- Open heart. This exercise will help work the muscles in the front of your neck. In addition, it has a relaxing effect on the back and strengthens, while relieving tension, on the spine. Thanks to this, headaches will become less severe or disappear altogether.
Starting position: sitting on your knees, thighs touching your heels, feet together. From this pose you need to bend back, resting your palms on the floor 20 cm from your feet. The chest must be raised higher, and the head must be thrown back. The buttocks touch the heels, only the back bends. This pose must be held for 35 seconds. Then return to the starting position: first you should raise your head, only then your chest.
- Camel. Starting position: standing on your knees, you need to rest your palms on your feet and bend your body. Correct execution this exercise Yoga involves observing the following points:
the hip line should be perpendicular to the floor surface;
gluteal muscles are tense, arms are straight;
head thrown back;
The muscles of the entire back are involved in the deflection; muscle tension should be felt from the tailbone to the shoulders.
For the shoulders. Starting position: sitting on your knees, you should top part tilt your body forward and rest your forehead on the floor. It is worth staying in this position for a few seconds, this will allow the muscles of the lower back and spine to stretch.
While in the same position, you need to connect your hands behind your back and slowly twist them at the shoulders as far as possible. The position should be fixed again. Next, you need to raise your hips and move the support point to the top of your head. In this case, the joined hands should be turned out at the shoulders as much as possible.
After holding the pose for a while, return to starting position. The return to it should be gradual, recording everything intermediate provisions. Repeat these movements 3 – 4 more times. If your headache is caused by tense shoulders, this yoga routine will bring relief.
Dolphin. This pose helps to relax the shoulder area and upper back, the tense state of which is often the cause of headaches. First you need to stand on all fours, hands and feet - shoulder-width and hip-width apart, respectively. Next, the emphasis needs to be transferred to the elbows, and the buttocks raised. It is advisable to touch the floor with the entire surface of the feet. The head should be located between the forearms, and the gaze should be directed towards the feet. While in this position, you need to inhale and exhale deeply several times.
Happy child. This pose also has a relaxing effect on the spine and back muscles and relieves headaches. First you need to accept supine position back to the floor and relax. The next movement is to grab the feet of the legs raised and bent at the knees. Next, you need to smoothly move your knees slightly apart to the sides towards chest. When you reach armpit level, you need to stay in this position for several minutes. To reach maximum effect, you can sway from side to side. Thanks to this positive action will be provided on every vertebra.
Relaxation of the body. In addition to special asanas aimed at achieving a specific result, yoga exercises for headaches And includes a restoration complex. It includes poses that are not accompanied by any tension, so there are no restrictions on the number or time.
To perform one of these yoga exercises, you need to sit next to a wall; for comfort, you can put something soft under your buttocks. Legs should be in a vertical position along the wall. The exercise is as follows: you need to spread your legs as wide as possible, but you don’t need to lift your feet off the wall. The duration of being in this position depends on the individual capabilities of the person. You need to return to the starting position in small steps along the wall, keeping your legs vertical.
Despite the many positive aspects of yoga, exercises to relieve headaches are not available to everyone. Those who have cardiovascular diseases and malignant tumors are not recommended to take the positions described.
If, as a result of examinations, the causes of headaches are not discovered, then the reason for this is a certain lifestyle. In this case, yoga for headaches will help relieve tension, thereby improving general condition. As a result of its use, not only will your head feel lighter, but your muscles will also become stronger, your figure will be toned, and your vital energy will return.
In this article we will look at exercises for headaches.
Each of us encounters during our lives such an unpleasant phenomenon as headaches. This phenomenon can greatly complicate a person’s life and his full-fledged activities, and deprive him of his ability to work. There are quite a few reasons for the appearance of such an unpleasant symptom as headache, as well as ways to combat it. Pharmacies offer painkillers, antispasmodics, and various medications to strengthen blood vessels and improve blood circulation.
There is another way to relieve headaches. We are talking about performing special exercises for headaches aimed at relieving spasm and tension in the neck muscles.
Description
Quite often, pain in the head occurs together with numbness in the neck area. In most cases, the neck becomes numb from stiffness, weakness, or muscle strain. Sometimes there is a loss of sensation on one side.
Exercises for headaches are aimed at stretching tight muscles and relaxing them. When performing therapeutic exercises, you must remember the following recommendations:
1. Listen carefully to your own feelings. Stretching should not be required special effort or overvoltage.
2. Joints and muscles become more flexible after stretching exercises. Stretching should be carried out both before performing the main set of exercises and after its completion.
3. Stretching should be done slowly.
Doing exercises
Exercises for headaches with cervical osteochondrosis, which can relieve muscle spasms and relieve stress, are performed easily and naturally, without effort and lengthy preparation. The following exercises are considered the most effective for eliminating headaches:
1. Pressing your palms to the back of your head, push your head forward, while resisting the movement. Hold the pose for 5 seconds, then slowly relax. The exercise is performed in three circles three times.
2. Place your hand on one side of your head. Overcoming resistance, you need to reach your ear with your shoulder. You can help yourself with your hand. Hold the pose for 5 seconds, then relax and repeat in the other direction. The exercise is also performed in three circles on each side alternately.
3. Place both hands on your forehead. Push your head back, offering resistance. Hold the pose for a few seconds, then relax and repeat three times in three circles.
4. Place your right hand on your left temple and try to turn your chin towards your right shoulder, while offering resistance. Repeat on the other side. Repeat three circles three times in each direction.
What other exercises for headaches are there?
Exercises to relieve muscle spasms
Often the cause of pain is cervical osteochondrosis. To relieve muscle spasms and thereby relieve pain, you can perform the following exercises:
1. While standing or sitting, you must slowly lower your head as low as possible. Then, also slowly, the head returns to its original position and leans back. It is very important to pay attention to areas where cracking, clicking or pain occurs. The exercise is repeated six times. If the pain does not go away after doing gymnastics, you should consult a doctor and have the upper part of the spinal column examined.
2. Turn your head to the left, then to the right. In this case, attention should be paid to the differences between sensations on one side of the neck and the other. You need to stay in each pose for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat six times.
3. Gently bring your shoulders forward, repeat six times. When performing the exercise, tension is felt in the back of the neck muscles.
4. While sitting or standing, lower your chin to your chest. Hold the pose for five seconds and relax your muscles, repeat six times. The tension is felt in the upper back and neck.
5. Sitting in a comfortable position, interlace your fingers behind your head. Lean forward slowly, pushing your head with your hands until your neck muscles are stretched. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise six times.
About the benefits of stretching
Stretching helps keep your muscles toned, and doing exercises against headaches increases their endurance. If a person has weak neck muscles, therapeutic exercises will be very useful. In the case of knotty muscles, stretching helps improve the overall condition of the person.
Breathing technique
There are also special exercises for headaches and tension.
In the vast majority of cases, head pain occurs due to overstrain of the muscles of the back and neck. Yoga offers a number simple exercises, including breathing, which will help you quickly and effectively cope with pain. So, the following stand out breathing exercises that even a beginner can perform.
Blowing through energy channels
Sitting on the floor, you need to accept any comfortable position and completely relax your whole body. Next, close one nostril with your finger and spend two minutes slowly and deeply inhaling and exhaling air through the free nostril. Then the nasal passages change and the cycle repeats. The exercise is performed until the pain in the head subsides.
Cooling Breath
Sitting in the lotus position, you need to straighten your back, stick out your tongue, curling it into a tube and systematically, breathe as deeply as possible. Inhale through the mouth, exhale through the nose with the mouth tightly closed. The exercise is repeated until relief is obtained in the head.
These two simple exercises will help provide the body, including the brain, with oxygen and eliminate tension and spasm, thereby relieving pain.
Yoga exercises for headaches
Yoga involves performing exercises aimed at eliminating tightness and spasms in different parts of the body. Let's look at a few options that can help relieve headaches:
1. The following exercise for headaches from osteochondrosis will help relieve tension from the neck: sitting on the floor with your legs crossed or on a chair with your legs apart, pull your right hand to your right knee or hold on to a chair, left hand placed on the head and carefully tilts it to the left. It is important to hold your knee or chair. The delay in the pose should be at least one minute, after which the sides change and the exercise is performed again.
2. Shoulder tension can also cause headaches. To eliminate tension, you need to sit on the floor, bend your legs and spread them apart. The big toes should be located opposite each other. Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, stretch forward, stretching the spine. At the peak of the stretch, hold for a few seconds. Next, the arms are extended, joined in a lock at the feet and stretched up as high as possible. As you exhale, lower your arms, shift your body weight forward and raise your hips. Having fixed the position for a few seconds, relax and repeat another 5-10 times, depending on the capabilities of the physical plane.
3. An exercise called “downward dog” has a beneficial effect on the condition of the back and vertebrae. To do this, you should stand in a triangle pose, resting your feet and palms on the floor, your tailbone looking up. As you inhale, lower your elbows to the floor, and as you exhale, raise your hips. Do not lift your feet off the floor; they must be completely pressed. The head is lowered down, the neck is relaxed. Do 5-6 breathing cycles.
4. To relieve tension from the lower part of the spine, it is also provided special exercise. Lying on the floor, you should bend your legs and clasp your feet with your hands. Next, the knees slowly spread and lower towards the armpits. While swinging to the sides, you should hold the pose for as long as possible.
5. After completing the complex, muscle relaxation is carried out. To do this, the blanket is rolled up and placed against the wall. Lying on your back, facing the wall and placing your buttocks on a pillow, you need to raise your legs to a vertical position and place them against the wall. The legs are slowly and systematically spread to the sides as wide as possible, the pose is fixed for 30 seconds. Next, the legs are brought together, knees bent. The exercise is repeated 5-10 times.
Yoga practices have proven that all systems and body parts in our body are interconnected. By relieving tension from the entire spine, you will be able to get rid of the headache problem. The listed exercises are easy to perform, but are effective enough to eliminate tension and stretch the spine and muscles.
Thanks to this, blood begins to circulate better and supply the brain with oxygen, thereby dilating blood vessels and eliminating pain. However, yoga is not for everyone and some people should not do this practice.
Contraindications
Should not be performed if you have a headache in the following cases:
- In the presence of heart and vascular diseases.
- Malignant tumors, including those on the spine.
- Against the background of colds.
- At elevated body temperature.
If a person has one of the listed problems along with headaches, you should visit a specialist. In other cases, yoga is not dangerous.
Conclusion
Regardless of the cause of the pain in the head, before taking the pill, it makes sense to try the listed exercises. Perhaps the cause of the discomfort lies in problems with the spine or tense muscles that need to be relaxed.
We looked at the most popular exercises for relieving headaches.
The best way to combat headaches is to strengthen nervous system. And the most accessible of these methods are gymnastics, self-massage and muscle relaxation. The fact is that all processes occurring in our body are controlled by the central nervous system. But there is also feedback, which makes it possible to stimulate it by influencing muscles and organs. Thus, any activity that has a beneficial effect on our body can simultaneously strengthen the nervous system.
Therefore, if you have a tension headache that occurs due to mental overload, do not rush to the pharmacy. To get rid of such feelings, just a walk on the fresh air and daily gymnastics for 10-15 minutes. In addition, when sedentary work It is necessary to do several exercises to strengthen the muscles of the face and neck 2-3 times a day.
Exercises for facial muscles
There are several exercises for the muscles of the face and head that can help get rid of tension headaches. They are recommended to be performed at the first sign of its occurrence. To be able to control every movement of the facial muscles, at first you will need a mirror.
1. Raise your eyebrows, then try to relax the corresponding facial muscles as much as possible so that they lower themselves.
2. Do the same, but alternately with each eyebrow. This exercise requires some skill, but at the very beginning of practice, it is acceptable to hold one eyebrow with your hand.
3. Quickly close your eyelids and bring them together eyeballs to the bridge of the nose. Then relax the corresponding facial muscles so that the eyes return to their normal position. You will have to perform this exercise without a mirror, focusing only on your own sensations.
4. Try to do the same thing, but alternately with each eye! In this case, you can press your palm on the corresponding side of the face so that the corner of the lips is slightly raised.
5. Frown your eyebrows tightly, then try to relax your facial muscles. After this, place your palms on your forehead and bring your eyebrows to the bridge of your nose.
6. Open your mouth as wide as possible - so that the lower jaw drops (as when yawning). Then slowly relax your facial muscles and return to the starting position.
7. Open your mouth about halfway and move your jaw left and right.
8. Wrinkle your nose strongly - as if you smelled an unpleasant odor, then relax the corresponding muscles and smoothly return to the starting position.
In addition to the above exercises, it is useful to make several grimaces - this also helps to get rid of unpleasant sensation“masks” for tension headaches.
Exercises for neck muscles
1. Sitting on a chair, tilt your head down and forward so that your chin touches your chest, then return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise 3-5 times. Breathing is voluntary.
2. Sitting on a chair, tilt your head back. Repeat the exercise 3-5 times.
3. Tilt your head to the sides: first to the right shoulder, then to the left. Repeat the exercise 3-5 times for each side.
