Simple Diet Changes to Help Your Neck Pain and Headaches

Neck pain and headaches/migraines, unfortunately too often, go hand in hand. Most people commonly experience one with the other. Pain that may have been a mild distraction at work or at home may turn into the end of your productivity for the day. Neck pain and headaches are most commonly caused by misalignment of the bones in your neck. These misalignments put pressure on the soft tissue around it and cause that constant ache in your neck or throbbing headache. Adjustments are the best way to resolve this; however, there are steps YOU can take at home to help decrease the intensity of your pain and help speed up your recovery!

• Hydrate: Drinking water is important as it can have a great impact on neck pain and headaches/migraines. Drinking water helps prevent dehydration. Dehydration—even early stages— make muscles weaker and more susceptible to spasm. Keeping hydrated can help decrease general neck pain and even the severity and frequency of tension headaches. Drinking water helps in regulating blood pressure, which can help with those “throbbing” headaches. Try to drink 2.5-3 liters of water daily, not soda or other liquids, for best results.
• B Vitamins: B vitamins are shown to help with neurological function. Increasing them in your diet can help with chronic headaches or migraines. Try to add these vitamins naturally through your diet, rather than with supplements.
  • B1 is in in pork, fish, oranges and raisins
  • B6 is highest in bananas, whole grains, beans, nuts, meats, fish, and eggs
  • B12 is highest in eggs, meat, fish, shellfish and poultry
• Potassium: Adding potassium to your diet can help with chronic neck pain and tension headaches. Potassium decreases muscle fatigue and spasm, and can be found in sweet potatoes and bananas. Adding these foods to your diet is an easy way to help decrease your neck pain and headaches.
• Decrease inflammation: Inflammation can make muscle pain and headaches/ migraines much worse. Simple ways to help decrease the inflammatory response through your diet is to cut out foods that increase the body’s response, such as sugar, processed food, and Night Shades. You can add things like turmeric, found in curry, mustards, or in its natural root form. You can also add green tea, which can help you not only relax, but as an antioxidant, it also decreases your body’s natural inflammatory response.

These 4 simply dietary changes are changes you can make in your everyday life, which coupled with adjustments, can put an end to your neck pain or headaches/ migraines.