Updated September 22, 2015.

Headaches commonly present themselves at inconvenient times, like when a person is in the middle of a meeting, a family outing, or stuck on an airplane. Often, over-the-counter medications are not readily available, and a nap is just not possible at the moment. So many people turn to self pain-alleviating maneuvers to temporarily ease their pain.

Let's explore what these maneuvers are and whether or not they really work.


What are Self Pain-Relieving Maneuvers?

Self pain-relieving maneuvers are self-soothing behaviors a person does to ease pain in their body, like that of a headache. These are commonly used by people suffering from a tension headache or migraine. Here are examples of self-soothing headache maneuvers:

• Massage of the temples, neck, or scalp with hand, fingers, or an object.
• Applying cold to the affected area, like with a cold pack, cold drink, or cold hand.
• Applying heat to the affected area, usually with a scarf, hair dryer, or hot shower.
• Compression or pressing firmly on the area of pain — or using a handkerchief wrapped tightly around the head.

It's interesting to note that compression is more common in migraineurs, and scalp massage is more common in people with tension headaches.

On the other hand, according to a 2001 study in Cephalalgia, people with cluster headaches are  more likely to utilize unique maneuvers, like covering one ear, lateral rotation of the head, shallow breathing, moving about, or closing the nostril on the same side as the head pain.

Do These Maneuvers Work?

Not really. While these maneuvers may provide temporary relief, the pain usually returns as soon as the maneuver is stopped. In fact, according to the 2001 study in Cephalalgia, only 8 percent of the 400 headache participants reported that the maneuvers  resulted in good or excellent pain control.

Still, nearly half of the participants continued to use self pain-relieving maneuvers at each headache attack, despite the lack of any substantial relief.

What Does This Mean?

While these self pain-relieving behaviors are not very effective, it's okay if you use them, as they are basically harmless. Possibly doing something good for yourself adds a psychological benefit, which is hard to calculate from a study. Go with your gut on this one.

<sub>Sources

Bag B & Karabulut N. Pain-relieving factors in migraine and tension-type headache. Int J Clin Pract. 2005 Jul;59(7):760-3.

Zanchin G et al. Self-administered pain-relieving manoeuvres in primary headaches. Cephalagia. 2001 Sep;21(7):718-26.</sub>

 

DISCLAIMER: The information in this site is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for personal care by a licensed physician. Please see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment of any concerning symptoms or medical condition.