1. Stay Hydrated
I think the first thing we need to start with is whether we are adequately and appropriately hydrated? America is the number one fatigued nation in the world for the top 50 socioeconomic nations. And with fatigue, you’re getting symptoms such as headaches. And if I’m under-hydrated, I’m fatigued. It is a classic symptom. This is a helpful formula to determine how much water you need: take your body weight in pounds and divide by two. The result is the ounces of water you should be trying to drink a day. Try and do that from two to four weeks and see how you respond.
2. Eat a Healthy Diet
I would look at diet changes. So again, is our diet high in sugars and processed foods and artificial flavors and sweeteners? And if it is, recognize that they are kind of toxic and inflammatory to the body. So, we can cut back on those sodas, foods high in MSG, processed foods full of processed sweeteners and artificial flavors. If we cut back on those inflammatory foods and we replace them with whole healthy foods, and leafy green vegetables full of antioxidants, that is going to be a really good start for us.
3. Focus on Posture
I think posture is something that we need to address. In corporate America, we sit for 40-50 hours a week and it essentially puts us into a state of poor posture. When we are in poor posture, it puts us in a chronic state of stress. Stress obviously leads to symptoms such as headaches. So, do you have poor posture? How do you know? Just have your coworker look at you. Is your ear on top of your shoulder, shoulder on top of your hip, hip on top of your knee and your ankle?
And if it’s not, if we’ve shifted forwards, have a coworker take a picture of you from the side. Then obviously address that through rehab. Either taking postural breaks at work, getting into the gym, working with a trainer, or obviously working with a healthcare professional such as a chiropractor.
4. Get Chiropractic Care
Obviously, you need to go and see someone who specializes in treating headaches. And chiropractors are certainly that professional. When you go to see a chiropractor, they are going to look at the function of the joint, and they are going to look at the posture of your spine in terms of the structure. And the chiropractor who is worth his salt will be able to pinpoint the joints that aren’t moving and essentially causing stress and tension on the nervous system. They are also going to be able to figure out if it is a structural issue within the spine. Or is it a compensation issue within the tissue? Or is it all the muscles, ligaments, tendons in your shoulders and in your neck that are creating all that tension? So by working with someone like a chiropractor, you can have good joint function and address those imbalances and get into good posture.
I think if you hit these four things, there’s absolutely no reason why you can either get your headaches corrected or prevent them from ever happening.
