All of us know that common triggers that cause headache are:
Lack of sleep
Stress
Hunger
Now take stock of your posture and notice whether you've rounded shoulders, a curved upper back and a head pitched slightly backwards. If yes then these conditions could also be the cause of your headache, because they add up to muscle tensions that results in headaches.
The latest studies by Tomas Brofeldt, M.D., at the University of California’s Davis Medical Center in Sacramento says that 75 percent of all headaches arise from muscle tension in the back of the neck, specifically the semispinalis capitis muscles, due to problems in posture. The actions of these muscles are:
Bilateral actions: Extending and hyperextending head and neck
Unilateral actions: Rotating head and neck to opposite side
Because the muscles of the neck and upper back connect to the head, tensions arising in these areas are referred to the forehead and behind the eyes. Likewise, anything that disturbs the spinal curves has the potential to cause headaches.
As headaches arise so frequently due to muscle tensions there is no such daily yoga program specially formulated for its cure and prevention. Nevertheless, you can add up these five poses in your daily practice:
Setu Bandhasana/Bridge Pose:
This pose opens up the chest and relieves tension in the shoulders and neck. It alleviates stress, calms the brain and reduces anxiety and insomnia. In addition to these, there is a traffic of blood flow to the brain while doing this asana and this helps in pain relief
Salamba Balasana/Supported Child’s Pose:
This pose is a great stress buster and it relaxes and stretches the upper back and neck. It calms the mind, calms the nervous system and effectively reduces pain.
Supta Badha Konasana/Reclining bound angle pose:
Lowers blood pressure, decreases heart rate, decreases muscle tension and hence reduces occurance of headaches. It relieves from fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and panic attacks - all triggers of headaches.
Adho Mukha Savanasana/Downward facing dog:
This pose increases blood circulation to the brain and thus relieves headache
Relaxes the spine, relieves fatigue and insomnia
Relaxes the mind and relieves stress
Paschimottanasana/Seated forward bend:
Calms the mind and relieves stress and mild depression
Highly therapeutic for insomnia and high blood pressure
Soothes headaches
Word of caution wold be:
To breathe deeply and slowly during all the postures
Remembering to relax the forehead, eyes, jaw, and tongue
Treating this for best results would be to start stretching and releasing at the very first sign of headache before the muscles go into spasm
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