Are my daily habits triggering chronic tension headaches?

Chronic Tension Headaches

There are many issues that can lead to chronic tension headaches, and some of these issues could be things that are daily habits for you. 

Americans are no strangers to tension headaches. After all, it’s reported that 50% of the general population has headaches every year. Additionally, one study found that up to 5% of the worldwide population has chronic daily headaches. A physical therapist can help you learn what is triggering your chronic tension headaches, and these medical professionals can help you find effective treatment for frequent tension headaches, too. 

These four daily habits can trigger chronic tension headaches

One thing that physical therapists will look at when trying to diagnose the cause of your headaches is your daily habits, because certain habits can lead to more frequent headaches. A few such habits include: 

  1. Putting yourself in stressful situations — Stress is one of the most common causes of tension headaches. Some people have jobs that put them in stressful situations on a daily basis. Others create their own stressful situations through habits like arriving late to work. Regularly subjecting yourself to stressful situations can lead to more tension headaches. 
  1. Bending your head forward — Many people spend hours every day with their head bent over a smartphone, tablet or laptop. This daily habit is called forward head posture. One issue that this type of poor posture can cause is tension headaches. 
  1. Chewing a lot of tough foods — The muscles in your jaw and neck can become tense and painful if you’re chewing a lot of tough foods every day. In turn, this pain can radiate into your head and trigger a tension headache. 
  1. Using poor exercise form — Even exercises that don’t directly involve the neck muscles can be affected by poor exercise form. An example is improperly doing pushups. Not holding your head correctly during this exercise increases the pressure on your neck muscles. This pressure can lead to muscle tension and pain that leads to a tension headache. 

How can physical therapy help treat your chronic tension headaches?

A physical therapist can help you identify daily habits that could be triggering your headaches. Also, these specialists can build you a therapy plan designed to reduce headache frequency. Such a plan can include therapy techniques like: 

Find help for your chronic tension headaches at Excel PT

Want to get physical therapy for your chronic tension headaches? Our Excel Sports & Physical Therapy team is prepared to help you find the top-notch treatment you need. We offer free screenings designed to reveal the source(s) of your headaches. Our physical therapists also excel at constructing individualized therapy plans intended to reduce pain and headache frequency. We can even help you get therapy from your home thanks to our virtual therapy and at-home care services. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help with your tension headaches or to schedule your initial appointment.