What medicine to take for tension headache

If you are under too much stress or have severe anxiety, it may cause headaches. This is a tension headache, which is a modern disease. When a tension headache occurs, you can relieve it by taking certain medications, such as acetaminophen, which is good for relieving headaches. You can also take certain Chinese medicines for treatment.

What medicine to take for tension headache

Tension headaches are caused by prolonged contraction of the head and neck muscles. The reasons for this contraction are: 1. As a result of anxiety or depression accompanied by mental tension; 2. As a secondary symptom of headaches or pain in other parts of the body due to other reasons; 3. Due to poor posture of the head, neck and shoulder girdle. Both herbal and Western medicine are effective for tension headaches.

Tension headache (liver qi stagnation): 10 grams each of bupleurum, fructus aurantii, angelica dahurica, curcuma, and licorice, 12 grams of chuanxiong, 15 grams each of salvia miltiorrhiza, white peony root, cassia bark, and kudzu root, and 25 grams each of raw dragon bone and raw oyster. Usage: Decoction in water and take in 3 doses, 1 dose per day. Indications and functions: Soothes liver and relieves depression. Prescription for tension headache (kidney yin deficiency): 18 grams of cooked rehmannia, 15 grams each of cornus fruit and poria, 12 grams each of IU medicine, wolfberry, codonopsis, angelica, chrysanthemum, moutan bark, chuanxiong, angelica, and gastrodia, 30 grams each of raw dragon bone and raw oyster, and 10 grams of licorice. Usage: Decoction in water and take in 3 doses, 1 dose per day. Indications and functions: Nourishes yin and tonifies the kidney.

Acetaminophen exerts its antipyretic and analgesic effects by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis and is suitable for relieving acute attacks of mild to moderate headaches. Ibuprofen: It is also an over-the-counter antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug. It produces analgesic effects by inhibiting cyclooxygenase and reducing the synthesis of prostaglandins. Ergotamine preparations: Ergotamine can be used alone or combined with other drugs to enhance its effect. The ergotamine in it mainly works by directly contracting smooth muscles and is related to the stimulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors, which can restore the excessive dilation and fluctuation of cerebral arteries to normal, thereby relieving headaches; caffeine can enhance the efficacy of ergotamine and reduce side effects.

Non-drug treatment

Tension headaches can be improved with physical therapy. The treatment plan adopted by some scholars includes four parts: (1) training the correct posture of the neck and head when sitting, standing, sleeping and working. (2) Practice improving head position and prone position exercises at home to strengthen the muscles at the back of the neck, and place an ice pack on the back of the neck. (3) Massage the back and shoulders with medium to deep pressure for 2 minutes. (4) Passively stretch the scalenes, upper trapezius, levator humeri, and pectoralis muscles for 5 minutes.