Exercise for Headache

Narrator: Felipe has been managing headaches for the last 10 years. After an evaluation, his doctor recommended working with the physical therapist. After the evaluation, the therapist recognized chronic neck, back and joint pains in addition to his headaches and discussed her findings with Felipe. She recommended that he start an exercise program to help treat his symptoms while gaining the benefits of an exercise program.

Felipe: I know I should exercise more. But how would that change my headaches? And how would I even get started?

Therapist: Exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise or aerobic exercise, has a lot of benefits for people with headache. This type of exercise is anything that gets your heart rate up and breathing a little harder. This could be brisk walking, biking, swimming or other similar activities. Studies suggest that aerobic exercise reduces how often people have headaches. It also helps to release endorphins that relieve pain and helps your body and nervous system regulate itself better. It also helps pump up neurotransmitters or brain chemicals. Exercise lessens our reactions to stress and can really improve mood, sleep, concentration and appetite.

Felipe: Mm-hmm. I know exercise could really help, but I just don't have time for it.

Therapist: The good news is even 10 minutes of continuous, honest-to-goodness aerobic activity can result in a measurable change. Ten minutes—the time it takes you to play a smartphone game—can start to reduce your headaches.

Felipe: My headache pain makes it difficult for me to exercise. Ten years ago, I got up early to go for a run. I ran around my neighborhood for 15 minutes and ended up with my knees hurting so badly I didn't even want to try that again. I'm not sure how to start something like this.

Therapist: A gradual approach is best. You want to start with what you can do comfortably each day and work your way up each week—say, by 15 minutes per week—until you're exercising 150 minutes a week. Keep a simple log to track your progress and to keep yourself honest. If you have a friend who will exercise with you, you can help motivate each other and enjoy the social interaction; that can be even more helpful. You also want to keep the intensity of your exercise at a moderate level, meaning you're breathing somewhat hard but you can still talk in short sentences. If you begin to experience greater difficulty with movement, reduce the pace for a time and gradually increase to see how you respond. By challenging yourself gradually, you'll be able to increase your tolerance to activity.

Felipe: Okay, I think I could do that—or at least try. Maybe I could start with walking. How would I be able to do this if the weather is bad?

Therapist: Have a plan in place ahead of time on how and where you are going to exercise. If the weather is poor, consider low-cost equipment for home or walking at a nearby mall. It's good to mix it up a little.

Felipe: Great. Is there anything else I should be doing other than aerobic exercise?

Therapist: Yes. Studies also suggest that strengthening and stretching can help headaches too. We can work together to develop a plan for neck and upper-back strengthening and stretching. Yoga is another great option for a mindful exercise practice that also stretches and strengthens your body. It is important to pace yourself when starting a new program and to gradually increase the challenge over time based on your confidence and improvement.

Felipe: I'm in. I'm willing to try anything to help with my headaches—so I should start with 10 minutes a day of walking.

Therapist: Yes. I think 10 minutes a day is a good starting point. As this gets easier for you, gradually increase your daily exercise time by 15 minutes a week until you are able to achieve 150 minutes of exercise per week.

Felipe: Great. I am so excited to get started.

Narrator: Make an appointment with a physical therapist who can work with you to develop a plan to meet your specific needs.