How SLUMPING could be causing your headaches

Increased pressure on the neck not stress or dehydration is to blame, experts say

• Majority of tension-type headaches are caused by pressure on the neck 
• These are characterised by a tight pressing pain on both sides of the head
• Bad posture and increased neck pressure causes knots to form in muscles
• Knots release chemicals increasing sensitivity to pain in nerves in the head

Many people put their headaches down to too little water or too much alcohol.

But experts suggest most headaches are actually caused increased pressure on the neck, made worse by bad posture.

Slumping leads to knots forming in the neck muscles, which release chemicals that make nerves more sensitive to pain.

This causes pain to be felt in the head, known as a tension-type headache - that feels like a tight, pressing pain on both sides of the head.

Experts say 80 per cent of all tension-type headaches - the most common type of headache - are caused by muscles in the neck.

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Most headaches are caused by increased pressure on the neck, made worse by bad posture, a survey found

New research found 40 per cent of people suffer a headache at least once a week and 67 per cent get one once a month or more.

Half of people said headaches negatively impact their quality of life while nearly three quarters said they wish they could deal with the pain more effectively.

These types of headaches typically last from 30 minutes to two days.

Julie Sugrue, a physiotherapist specialising in the role muscles play in headaches said the head and neck have at least 36 muscle groups of which 20 have been shown to refer pain to the head.

She said: 'These muscles are used for many activities such as moving the head, maintaining posture, eating, talking and facial expressions.

'There are a variety of factors such as poor posture and increased neck tension which can result in "knots" developing in these muscles.

'Tenderness caused by these knots can cause pain in a distant area, which is likely due to the nerves being sensitive.

'This is called referred pain, and is the reason neck muscles can cause pain to be felt in the head.'

Currently, 70 per cent of people wait twenty minutes or more before treating their headache, the survey found.

When they do treat their pain, more than half report using paracetamol.

But Dr Andrew Dowson, founder of headache services at King's College Hospital, London, suggests using ibuprofen too.

HAVE YOU GOT TEXT NECK? HUNCHING OVER A PHONE 'HURTS THE SPINE'

Slumping to read a text or study a selfie can put undue pressure on the neck, leading to a sore back.

This is because bending the neck increases the pressure put on the spine.

Bending the head at a 60 degree angle to look at a phone screen puts 60 lbs – or 27kg – worth of pressure on the cervical spine, the part of the spine above the shoulders, the study found.

At more than four stone in weight, that is heavier than the average seven year old.

The extra pressure put on the neck leads to early wear and tear and the person may eventually need surgery, experts said. 

He said: 'Ibuprofen is recommended as one of the first lines of treatment for tension-type headaches in guidelines for healthcare professionals by the British Association for the Study of Headache, alongside paracetamol and aspirin.

'Consumer confusion around headache management and treatment is part of the problem.

'It's important that consumers understand that it's the tenderness in the head and neck muscles, commonly described as "knots", that trigger release of pain-causing chemicals.

'These chemicals make nerves more sensitive to pain and produce the symptoms of tension-type headaches.'

The research was carried out by Nurofen Express.

The news comes after MailOnline reported in November 2014 that slumping to read a text or study a selfie can put undue pressure on the neck, leading to a sore back.

This is because bending the neck increases the pressure put on the spine.

Bending the head at a 60 degree angle to look at a phone screen puts 60 lbs – or 27kg – worth of pressure on the cervical spine, the part of the spine above the shoulders, the study found.

At more than four stone in weight, that is heavier than the average seven year old.

The extra pressure put on the neck leads to early wear and tear and the person may eventually need surgery, experts said. 

Source: dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2961684/How-SLUMPING-causing-headaches-Increased-pressure-neck-not-stress-dehydration-blame-experts-say.html#ixzz3SfQxIGpw