Young tired working woman at work

Is working from home increasing your headaches?

Are you one of the millions that has to deal with headaches? Anyone who has ever had a headache knows that it impacts your whole day and can make you feel miserable.

But, did you know that not all of them are the same? Sometimes neck problems are what initiate a throbbing head, or it could be that the headache has another cause involving the blood vessels that supply the neck and head. Pain signals can be sent by blood vessels in your head and neck, tissues around your brain, nerves that start in the brain or other body parts like the muscles and joints of the neck, scalp, sinuses, and teeth.

TYPES OF HEADACHES

STRESS: Anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation and worry can be causes of stress-related headaches. The importance of the head’s relationship to the body cannot be over-emphasized. Since the head’s only attachment to the rest of the body is between the base of the skull and the first vertebrae of the neck, the head is heavily influenced by any changes and limitations occurring with the body. If you’re tense, muscles in your neck, scalp, shoulders, and jaw can tighten up. When you’re stressed you also tend to pay less attention to your posture and that comfy slump that you do in the car or on your sofa can continue to encourage that tension and decreased blood flow up the neck to the head. Strategies like eating well, getting enough rest and adequate exercise/meditation or relaxation strategies can help. If stress causes you to grind your teeth at night, your dentist might recommend a bite guard.

POOR POSTURE: Poor posture, poor chair design, awkward set up of your computer and sitting in one position for too long can all can be causes of stress-related headaches. A perfectly balanced head on your shoulders should weigh, on average, about 10 lbs. When you don’t have your head over your shoulders, the head can cause undue strain and weight on the neck. Research shows that for every inch your head is forward of your shoulders, your head doubles in weight making it harder for the neck and head muscles to work (up to 200% harder all day long)! No wonder you feel that aching and burning in your upper traps. When you’re healthy, your neck muscles can compensate for a while but, eventually, these muscles tire due to poor position, over-elongation and start to lose healthy blood flow making recovery time longer after each work day and leading to aches and, possibly, headaches.

HANGOVERS: Too much alcohol can result in a bad night’s sleep. Either you toss and turn, or you fall into an unusually heavy sleep where your neck is in an uncomfortable position. It’s because alcohol causes the blood vessels in your brain to expand and irritate nearby tissues. All this can cause: Throbbing pain, Nausea, Pain on both sides of the head
Remedies are the same as those for stress headaches, with a few added ideas: hydrate (with water or broth) and enjoy something with fructose (like honey or tomato juice).

CAFFEINE WITHDRAWAL: Caffeine withdrawal can cause head and neck pain if you cut out beverages like coffee and tea too quickly. This can make your blood vessels dilate, or expand. That causes the head pain. It’s better to ease off your caffeine step-by-step rather than all at once.

ALLERGIES: According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), two different types of headaches are linked to allergies: sinus headaches, which typically feel like facial pain and pressure; and migraines, which can cause moderate to severe pain that can feel like throbbing and can be accompanied by nausea. The triggers of those headaches often include nasal or sinus congestion, stress, certain foods, or smoke, per the ACAAI.

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR

In some cases, the things that lead to your headache with neck pain need medical attention. Call your doctor if the pain:

FINAL THOUGHTS

If this goes on without any relief, don’t try to figure this out on your own. See a medical professional who can take the time to go through your history and give you the best advice. Once you know what type of headache you’re dealing with, you can start to implement the above suggestions. But only re-acting isn’t the long-term solution. It’s important to find ways to change your lifestyle, environment and posture to protect yourself for the long term. This is most easily achieved by being aware of what you eat, how much you drink and maintaining your best posture through exercise and alignment while you work. The Backbone Cushion can help you with your postural improvements without having to buy a new chair. Whether it’s in your car or your office, the Backbone Cushion can protect your spine and improve you comfort anywhere in minutes.

If you are suffering from neck pain and headaches, proper seated support could help. Contact us at hello@backbonecushion.com to try our cushion risk-free for 45 days. Learn what this unique postural support can do for you and let us help get you back on track!

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