Head Nods and Headaches
Nov 30, 2013
Headaches are the worst. And migraines are even worse! Every 10 seconds, someone in the United States goes to the ER with a headache or migraine.
Did you know that migraines aren’t caused just by the food you are eating, dehydration, your lack of sleep, or even from your raging hormones? Sure, these most certainly play a role in them and can trigger one, but primarily, people suffer from migraines due to neuro-musculoskeletal issues.
What does that mean? Well, it means that many people get migraines due to compression at the base of the skull, misalignments and poor posture, and/or a faulty vestibular system. Now, if you know anything about Original Strength, you might know that we love us some vestibular stimulation (check out this post to learn more on what the heck the vestibular system is and how it’s connected to your head) and today’s video does just that.
In this video we will go through one of our simple, yet incredibly powerful resets, the head nod. The head nod stimulates the vestibular system through moving your head up and down which can help refine or even regain head control.
[VIDEO] Take a sec to watch the video here….
I’ve had several clients over the years that have struggled with debilitating migraines. I've also been fortunate enough to help these clients, almost immediately, by teaching them the OS Head Nods. We typically do them at the beginning or end of a workout, but I’ve even suggested that people just stop and take a minute to themselves when the headache or migraine comes on. In the scenario that I discussed in the video, this woman didn't have to take her migraine medication and felt loads better and found much faster relief than if she had taken her medication.
You can do head nods while on all fours (like in the video) or by laying on your stomach (pictured side). Just look way up to the ceiling and then all the way to the floor and get your chin tucked as close in to your chest as possible.
Then, our best suggestion is to do as many as your body tells you to do. If it feels good, then go ahead, nod away! (And I probably don’t need to say this but of course, you should never move into pain…. Meaning, seriously, please don’t do this if it hurts you for some reason.)
I think an awesome thing about head nods is you can implement these just about anywhere, and they can help you with more than just preventing and providing relief from migraines. Head nods can be a simple core exercise, a way to release tension in your shoulders and neck, a way to work on bettering your posture, and this activates the axial antigravity muscles which increases spinal stability and performance.
Being that this time of year can be stressful for many people, I try to implement 10-20 head nods in with all of my clients as a way to relax and de-stress. Head nods paired with diaphragmatic breathing can be a great physical and mental reset. I actually do head nods pretty much every morning when I wake up (8-12), and then again when I am working out (5-10).
***Please note, we are not saying that performing head nods will cure migraines. Nor are we prescribing head nods as a treatment for migraines. We are only suggesting that head nods may offer help and hope to those who experience migraines.
If you would like to know more about how Original Strength can help you, or your clients/patients, get through what you may be facing in your daily life, we encourage you to try to come to a workshop, read the books, or contact us with questions. The resets are overly simple, but that is why people often overlook them and miss out on the awesome benefits they can have on your body.
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