Self Care – Headache Relief Through Ice And Stretch

The Problem

Many of my clients with “migraines” or “sinus headaches” actually have cervicogenic headaches (originating from the neck). Many of my clients and people who have found this on the web have relief from these debilitating headaches by using this process. You can get relief from your headaches too.

Most of us are familiar with the traditional way of using ice. You put the ice (with a protective cloth) on the swollen or the painful area. It creates a little emergency. Your body says, “Hey! That’s cold! Let’s put some blood in there to warm it!” This tried and true method compresses waste and flushes the area with blood while reducing inflammation. That is especially good for stabilizing acute injuries and rehabbing strain and sprain.

Here is a very different way to use ice to release muscle pain.

Great Research

Janet Travell was the physician to a couple of U.S. presidents and led the march to outstanding research about trigger points. In her book, she treats trigger points by spraying a vapo-coolant onto the skin. This process disables the restrictive effects of the trigger point. The cold shock distracts the nervous system so that the muscle lengthens without the usual pain and referral. She said that this treatment method is the workhorse of trigger point therapy. You can do something similar at home.

This is an adaptation of that approach called ice-and-stretch. You can quickly stretch the problems out of muscle much faster than expected by shocking the skin with a little hot or cold just before the stretch. Notably, the tense and trigger point laden muscles are usually the most sensitive to the ice and in the most need of treatment.

The Video

Here is a video where I use an ice cube to release the tension in my neck and reduce headaches and neck pain. I do this with clients at my office using an ice cube that I make in a 3oz bathroom cup. Additionally, I do this with a hot stone from the stone heater. I use a slightly warmer stone that is still in a safe range. The hot stone can be handy for people with an aversion to cold. Unfortunately, I don’t have an easy way to do this at home, so use your ice cube.

The whole video takes about 9 minutes, and the icing part only takes about 5. It is an amazingly quick and easy way to reduce pain using stuff that you have on hand. If there is an underlying problem, the trigger point won’t release or will come back soon. See your neuromuscular therapist for lasting relief.

Here is a video to guide you through this process.

I know a lot about trigger points and stretching, and most people don’t get the same results from spot work as I do in the video. I’ve even had clients who have been with me for years that find that doing the process by this guide is much more effective.

Cervicogenic Headaches

This link has posts about cervicogenic headaches. Find the post about your pain pattern, and it will tell you how to do The Box so that you focus on your particular headache.

Would you like to use ice and stretch for other muscles? You can relieve soreness and speed up any stretching routine by following the guidelines in this post on ice and stretch.

Cranio Cradle Cup

This mug has classic, colorful illustrations of the craniosacral system and vault hold #3. It makes a great gift and conversation piece.

Tony Preston has a practice in Atlanta, Georgia, where he sees clients. He has written materials and instructed classes since the mid-90s. This includes anatomy, trigger points, cranial, and neuromuscular.

Question? Comment? Typo?
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*This site is undergoing significant changes. We are reformatting and expanding the posts to make them easier to read. The result will also be more accessible and include more patterns with better self-care. Meanwhile, there may be formatting, content presentation, and readability inconsistencies. Until we get older posts updated, please excuse our mess.