I do a lot of face-to-face interaction at work, and I started getting tension headaches from the minor smiling and face control. When I notice I’m tensing my ears and scalp, I try to be mindful about relaxing them. If you’re not experienced with mindful meditation, you might try a 5-minute “body scan” exercise to get familiar with targeted relaxation. You don’t have to do the whole exercise every time, but it helps to learn what “relaxing your scalp” feels like.
My doctor also prescribed me diclofenac gel, which is a topical NSAID like Ibuprofen. It’s usually prescribed for arthritis pain. I’m bald, so I can put it on the top and back of my head. It’s completely changed my workday. I’m less exhausted at the end of the day. My scalp might be tightening but I can’t feel it.
What do you mean?
Like a migraine, sinus, pressure, or tension. Did anything seem to cause it? Does anything make it worse?
Tension. Nothing seems to have made it worse, just got progressively more noticeable.
I do a lot of face-to-face interaction at work, and I started getting tension headaches from the minor smiling and face control. When I notice I’m tensing my ears and scalp, I try to be mindful about relaxing them. If you’re not experienced with mindful meditation, you might try a 5-minute “body scan” exercise to get familiar with targeted relaxation. You don’t have to do the whole exercise every time, but it helps to learn what “relaxing your scalp” feels like.
My doctor also prescribed me diclofenac gel, which is a topical NSAID like Ibuprofen. It’s usually prescribed for arthritis pain. I’m bald, so I can put it on the top and back of my head. It’s completely changed my workday. I’m less exhausted at the end of the day. My scalp might be tightening but I can’t feel it.
Stretch, yoga, meditate.