According to WHO, around 54 percent of adults around the globe suffer from at least two headaches in any given year. Tension and migraine headaches are most common types of headaches. Tension headaches are triggered by muscle tension or stress in the head and the neck. Applying some pressure on specific points around the neck or head can definitely help relieve the symptoms.
The temporalis muscle is a thin muscle that runs from the side of your skull down to the jaw. Each time you chew or speak, this muscle is in action. If this muscle is tight, the pain is mostly felt over the temples, in the jaw, and around the eyes. Stretching this muscle will ease tension. You can do that easily by placing your fingers on your skull right above your ears and behind the temple. Now take a deep breath in. When you breathe out, gently open your mouth and push all your fingers upwards towards the top of your skull.
Upper Trapezius Muscle
It’s a large muscle sitting at the top of your back. This muscle attaches your upper neck with the skull, down your mid-back and across to your shoulder. Reach one arm across to your opposite shoulder and try to use fingertips to feel midway between your shoulder and neck and press down. All those who have tight upper trapezius muscles, pain is mostly felt around the ear and up the neck.
Base of the Skull
If you feel the area behind your head where bottom of the skull meets your neck, you will find small indentations. There are many small muscles located at this position, and they can easily contribute to headaches when they are tight. Gently place your thumb on these indentations and take a deep breath. When you breathe out, press your thumbs in and lean head in slightly backward position. This point helps relieves most headaches that are felt at the back and in the front of the head.
The sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches from the back of your ear to your collar and breast bones. You can find the headache-generating point by placing right hand on the right side of your neck. Gently turn head towards the left. The muscle that immediately pops out is your sternocleidomastoid muscle. Gently squeeze this muscle, as you try to turn your head back to front. Gently breathe out slowly and simultaneously squeeze this muscle. People with tight sternocleidomastoid muscle will feel pain right over their eye and many even experience jaw pain.
Sometimes headaches are symptoms of seriously underlying condition. Immediately seek medical advice if you suffer from excessive sleepiness, confusion, weakness, double vision, red eye or fever, or you feel your headache is getting worse. It’s important to seek emergency medical care if you feel a sudden, severe headache that quickly develops within minutes.