Tension Headaches

While you may use medicine to treat or prevent tension headaches, adding stress management therapies may help reduce the frequency of your tension headaches. Talk to your doctor about trying:

• Biofeedback, a relaxation method to help you learn to control a body function that is not normally under conscious control, such as muscle tension.
• A relaxation exercise during which you focus on relaxing each muscle group. Relaxation exercises can help with tension headaches. When relaxation exercises and antidepressants are used together as treatment, the results are even better.³
• Acupuncture, which involves putting very thin needles into the skin at certain points on the body to produce energy flow along the body's meridians. Evidence specifically for tension headaches shows that acupuncture is no better than sham acupuncture (when needles are put into the skin, but not at the right points).⁴
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which may help reduce pain.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy or problem-solving therapy during counseling sessions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and problem-solving therapy can help with tension headaches. When cognitive-behavioral therapy or problem-solving therapy and antidepressants are used together as treatment, the results are even better.³
• Yoga.
• Meditation.
• Peppermint oil. There is some evidence that peppermint oil rubbed on the temples or on the tight muscles in the head, neck, and shoulders may help relieve tension headaches.