How to get rid of tension headache?
I am a college student and I have been under a lot of stress recently which leads to me having major tension headaches. I currently have a tension headache and I took Excedrin Tension and that helps a little bit but my neck and shoulders feel like they have knots in them and my upper back, in between my shoulder blades hurts.
No one is around right now to give me a massage so I need some advice. Help please :(
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am sick of this damn headache :(
Public Comments
1. I've found ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, etc.) to be the best over-the-counter pain killer for pain that comes from tense muscles. It seems to have mild muscle relaxant qualities, in a way that Tylenol (which is what's in Excedrin) and aspirin just don't. For a really bad tension headache, you'll want to take about 800 mg of it -- which is 4 of the usual 200 mg pills. Don't worry: even though the box says only to take two of them, 800 mg is a safe dosage, so long as you don't take it too often.Once you've downed the ibuprofen, get something cold on your shoulders and neck. I know it may feel like it wants heat more than it wants cold, but stiff necks and shoulders are usually due to an inflammation somewhere, and inflammations respond better to cold. You might also try rubbing in some methyl salicylate lotion (like Ben Gay, or a similar product). Drink plenty of water, and if you're a caffeine junkie like I am, make sure that you're getting enough caffeine as well (caffeine withdrawal can cause nasty tension headaches, which is why caffeine is one of the ingredients in Excedrin).
If the combination of 400 mg of ibuprofen, methyl salicylate, and cold doesn't work for you, then I'm out of over-the-counter options. A doctor might be willing to prescribe some muscle relaxants for you -- but that could make studying rather difficult. They tend to knock you out.
Good luck, and I hope you can get rid of that headache!
