This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/Q34P1aGiOIk
Brad: Oh, headaches can really turn your world upside down, especially if you don't have any way to control them.
Mike: So we're going to give you some of the best-tested remedies that you can try on your own to help relieve that tension.
Brad: And I do want to apologize for the title. This is a family show, and we normally don't put those abbreviations up, but...
Mike: BS stands for bologna sandwich.
Brad: There you go. Now oftentimes, headaches are associated with stress and tension, and that leads to problems with headache pain, and it is a real issue.
Mike: So muscles around your eyes, as well as on top of your head and sometimes even at the base of your skull are often the culprit. This tension is causing the headache you're experiencing.
Brad: That's right. So these muscles chronically get tight, and actually, there are those thin layer muscles on top of your head that you may not think of, but these little muscles, when they get tight, really can cause some problems, tension, and actually, can refer that tension into your jaw. Some people say their teeth feel funny when they get these headaches. We're going to show you how you could get rid of these rather quickly. All right, first, we're going to show you a simple assessment so you can actually target which muscles are tight and causing the problem. Mike, go ahead.
Mike: So first we can start with around the eyes. So you can go on the outside, more your cheekbones. Maybe it's your eyebrow area or forehead. Typically, somewhere in this area can be tight. You may just touch it and feel a trigger point or sore or an achiness. Sometimes you can even close your eyes and gently massage your eyelids. Obviously, don't poke yourself in the eye, but be careful, and see if this is where your trigger point is located.
Brad: I know a lot of times that the temporalis muscles are right here. Get in and do some deep circles on that.
Brad: If that's the trigger point, as soon as you do that, you're going to feel some relaxation and relief. Also, on top of the head, I know fingers on top of the head, you can push in deep and do some circles forward and backward.
Brad: You'll feel relief quite quickly if those are the muscles that are causing the pain, and also the suboccipitals. This is the occiput, so the sub is below that, these muscles are here. Anything else we forgot, Mike?
Mike: No, just gently massage the area. Obviously, I have an easy time doing it because I have no hair. If you have thicker hair like my girlfriend, you kind of have to push and dig in there a little bit harder.
Brad: Right, well, you should be massaging her head, if you're really the manly gentleman that you are.
Mike: Yes.
Brad: All right, we're going to show you some specific ways and other alternatives for each location. Okay, let's first talk about around the eyes and the temple or temporalis muscles. I'll start there. Now, simply using your fingers, you can do circular massage, and you'll feel that muscle there. Now when they start to loosen up, the experience I have is my jaw will actually open up a little bit because that's part of the muscle responsible for closing your jaw. Get in there. You can go up and down, forward and backward, and some people like to use the part of the thumb, the base there, or the palm and get in like that and do those circles.
Brad: Now I have cold hands just because that's the way my hands are, and that actually feels good. So Mike is going to go on and talk about some cold and heat options, but before we do that, let's talk about doing some massage, little things like around the eyebrows, around the nose, and work those little muscles around the eye in here and just feel the spots.
Brad: You will know. All of a sudden, you'll feel that release and just say, "Oh boy, I hit the spot there." Go ahead, Mike. Let's talk about cold and heat.
Mike: So if you want, you can try a cold or hot pack on your head, as well. Typically, you would relax it over your eyes or your forehead area.
Mike: Oftentimes, you're not going to be seated like this. You're going to be lying down or in a recliner of sorts. Now if it is warm, make sure you have a towel layer in between because it can get too warm. Also, if you just want to take a washrag you have at home, put some hot water on it, and rest it on there, as well, that's a good option.
Brad: Make sure you ring it out first.
Mike: No, I like mine sopping wet.
Brad: You can do that with cold or hot. There is actually a hot and cold pack that actually fits and is specifically made for your eyes. That works well, also. Now we do have another really nice way to give you the deluxe eye massage. All right, this next option is something I thought was never gonna work when I first saw them, and I tried it just because. I go, "All right," and I am absolutely in love with these eye massagers. They have a battery in them. They actually massage the temples very well. They massage the muscles above and below and a very gentle massage on the eyelid itself that is very gentle. Mike has it on his head right now.
Brad: They actually have controls that have music, and there are different modes you can put with that, different volumes. The pressure of the massage is controllable, as well as the temperature. It does warm up. Now actually, we are working on one that does warm and cold options, but typically now with this, let me just sort of say this. 15 minutes, and it turns off. My personal experience, as well as a number of people I know that have these, will put them on and go for 15 minutes, but they typically fall alseep, and I usually fall asleep about 50% of the time before 15 minutes is up. How are you doing, Mike?
Mike: I'm good. I'm going to take a nap now.
Brad: Right. They're not very expensive, and you certainly do not need 'em. Use other options, but if you want to have a gift for someone or to try something, they're very, very wonderful options. We've got the black color and the white color. They're very similar as far as function.
Mike: Okay, now, when it comes to the top of the head, oftentimes you have to use your hands to massage that area. They do have some interesting little tools you'll see once in a while in some stores, but we just typically use our hands. You can either do a circular pattern in different areas. If you feel a trigger point or tender area, just work that a little more. You can even do kind of like a splaying on the top of your head. Obviously, Brad has hair, so he might pull his hair more, but if you're bald like me, you can get a nice splaying massage, as well.
Brad: I have a bald spot.
Mike: Oh, just splay there, then. So just work on that. Now if you are feeling it more in the back of your head, this is called the suboccipital region. It's kind of like the base of your skull. Brad is not under arrest right now. He's simply massaging it. So you just kind of dig around the base of your skull there. It's where your neck muscles connect. If you're often tense or have bad posture at a computer, these can get really tight on some people,
Brad: All right, so I'm actually doing circles, or push in rather aggressively and pull or splay out and stretch the skin and the muscles underneath. It gets the fascia, which is also a component that creates pain. It's a nice option. Boy, that does feel good. Make sure you spend some time here. I'll stretch for this as simply chin tucks, where you go in with your chin and then a little bit forward, not up and not down, and in the back, you'll feel slight stretches there. Let's talk about the magic of colder heat.
Mike: So oftentimes, there are actually studies looking at cold packs and migraines. Typically, you place them more on the side of the neck 'cause you want to hit the carotid artery, helps cool the blood that is going to the brain, and it can help relieve migraines, at least that's what they found in the study.
Mike: If you're having more suboccipital region pain or discomfort, you could certainly use a hot or cold pack back there.
Brad: I personally, I'm just so excited to share this with people. I just put a cold pack right on top of my head and that works really well, and it's a lot easier than doing the massage. You know what I'm sayin'?
Mike: The bald spot's gone now.
Brad: Yeah, my wife said, "What are you doing with that cold pack on your head?" And I'm like, "It's doing wonders, dear." So anyways, nice little simple things can make big differences in your life. All right, so I hope you have some options that are going to help you reduce and eliminate those headaches that really work well. I'm sure one of them will for sure.
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