5 Ways to Relieve a Tension Headache Without Medication
If you get a headache and don’t have medication with you, these techniques may help.
You can relieve a tension headache with acetaminophen or NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). If you get a tension headache on the go and don’t have medications with you, try these techniques before making another trip to the pharmacy.
If you regularly have tension headaches that don’t improve with medication or stress-relieving techniques, see a doctor.
References
Centre for Clinical Interventions. (n.d.). Progressive muscle relaxation.
Gu, Q., et al. (2018). Mindfulness meditation for primary headache pain: A meta-analysis. Chinese Medical Journal.
Lipton, R. B., et al. (2017). Caffeine in the management of patients with headache. The Journal of Headache and Pain.
MedlinePlus. (2021). Tension headache.
National Headache Foundation. (n.d.). Hot and cold packs/showers.
Shah, N., et al. (2023). Muscle contraction tension headache. StatPearls.
Stephens, G., et al. (2016). Paracetamol (acetaminophen) for acute treatment of episodic tension-type headache in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.