A simple tension-relieving technique, originally developed at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, may provide swift relief for most tension headaches, and also for some migraines—usually within a few minutes.
Stand erect with feet slightly apart and continue to breathe normally throughout the exercise. Begin by clenching both fists and tensing both arms and hands from the shoulders down. Hold tightly for six seconds. Then release.
Without waiting, tense both legs and feet, including the buttocks. Curl the toes if you can. Hold the tension tightly for six seconds. Then release.
In the same way, tense and release the abdomen muscles … the chest muscles … and the shoulder and neck muscles. Then screw the face up tightly, press the tongue against the teeth, tense for six seconds, and release.
Now, beginning once more with the arms and ending with the face, repeat the entire process twice more. Finally, do several neck rolls. Shrug the shoulders several times and roll them around. Raise the neck up and push the shoulders down. Then relax. Without holding the breath or stopping at any point, take ten long, deep continuous breaths. Each rime you exhale, visualize the pain leaving your head.
if you prefer, you can do the exercise lying down. Although the whole thing usually takes less than three minutes, you can speed it up by tensing every muscle in the body and face at the same time. Hold it for six seconds, then release. Repeat three times before doing the neck rolls and deep breathing.
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