< previous page | page_42 | next page >
Page 42
| A Progressive Relaxation Exercise |
| The following exercise is one headache sufferers can use to learn how to relax and relieve the stress of muscle tension. |
| Lie down or lean back in a comfortable chair in a quiet room with subdued light. Take 10 slow, deep breaths, taking a little longer to breathe out than you take to breathe in. The ideal timing is a two-second full inhalation followed by a slow, controlled four- or five-second exhalation. This starts the relaxation process. |
| Beginning with the feet, clench the toes tightly for a few seconds, then release. Then tighten the muscles of the leg, and relax. Repeat this process for the rest of the body: buttocks, back, abdomen, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, eyes and finally the muscles of the face. Next, yawn several times, then squeeze the eyes open and shut, taking another 10 deep breaths. Notice how much more relaxed you are. Continue breathing, allowing yourself to relax even more. Then resume your regular activities. |
| Hydrotherapy |
| Hydrotherapy is another method for treating headaches without drugs. Hot baths, saunas, heat lamps and steam baths all reduce tension by increasing blood circulation. A migraine headache, for instance, can sometimes be stopped with the combination of a hot shower followed quickly by an ice-cold one. Hot water may at first increase the migraine pain by temporarily dilating blood vessels, but this paves the way for fast relief when the vessels are constricted by the cold shower. |
< previous page | page_42 | next page >

If you like this book, buy it!