Tension headaches can last 30 minutes to seven days.Living with a tension headache can be disruptive to your life, but there are some things you can try at home to ease the pain. Hot or cold compresses, neck or scalp massages, and adjusting posture are among the many ways to relieve tension headaches and prevent attacks.
Maskot / Getty Images
1. Apply a Hot or Cold Compress
Apply a hot or cold compress to the affected area—such as the temples, forehead, or neck—for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day as needed. Heat promotes blood flow and can help relax tense muscles. Cold helps reduce inflammation and can provide a numbing effect to easetension headache pain.
If you don’t have anice pack, fill a plastic bag with ice water or use frozen peas. Be careful when applying ice packs directly to the skin; wrap them in a towel or cloth first.
If you prefer to use heat, warm a hot compress in the microwave or use an electric heating pad. A hot or cold shower or bath and resting in a comfortable, dark place can also help.
2. Massage Your Temples, Scalp, and Neck
Try self-massage orpressure pointstimulation on the head or neck to ease tension, pressure, and pain. Researchers found massage therapy focusing on these areas effective in managing chronic tension headaches, in which symptoms occur 15 days a month or more.
3. Maintain Good Posture
Slouching or a misaligned head position when sitting, standing, or sleeping can cause tense muscles, leading to tension headaches. To prevent this from occurring, maintainproper posture—with your shoulders down and neck and back straight.
Be aware of your posture and be ready to correct it when sitting, such as while working at a desk or driving, or when standing for long hours.Use pillows that cradle your head in a natural position, and try to sleep on your side or back instead of your belly.
4. Focus on Moderate Intensity Exercise
When you exercise, your body releases neurotransmitters and endogenous opioids—chemicals that can reduce pain. Not getting enough physical activity raises headache rates and severity. Boosting moderate-intensity exercise can reduce headache intensity and frequency.
Moderate-intensity exercise refers to activity that gets the heart pumping, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and aerobic activities (like jumping jacks, stair climbing, and others). Aim for at least 150 minutes of this per week: about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
5. Get Some Sleep
Not getting enough sleep or waking up frequently at night can raise stress levels and trigger tension headaches. Researchers have found between 26% and 72% of people with tension headaches reported poor sleep as a trigger. In those with chronic tension headaches, not enough sleep worsens pain.
Getting the sleep you need—seven to nine hours a night for adults—can be crucial in managing tension headaches. Steps to promote good sleep include:
6. Increase Fluids
Dehydration and what you drink can also influence headache activity. Boosting water intake helps prevent tension headaches. In addition, ginger tea may ease headache pain, with studies supporting its efficacy formigraine headaches.
Caffeine from coffee, some sodas, and black or green tea can also help ease headaches, especially in habitual drinkers. However, too much can be a trigger in some people.
7. Stretch
Since tight muscles cause tension headaches, certain stretches can help ease tension and prevent headaches. Stretching is especially important if you drive, sit, or stand for long periods. In these cases, take stretch breaks every one to two hours.
Stretching for tension headaches typically involves focusing on the neck, shoulders, and back. To stretch the neck, slowly bring your ears down to your shoulders and back, turn left and right, and lower and raise your head.Activities focusing on stretching, such as yoga or tai chi, can also help reduce stress and prevent tension headaches.
8. Maintain Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Certain behaviors and lifestyle changes can help ease stress and promote better sleep, thus reducing the risk of developing a tension headache. Some lifestyle choices to prioritize include:
9. Relax and Keep Stress Under Control
Managing stress—and finding ways to relax—can play a central role in preventing tension headaches. Several strategies may help:
10. Use OTC Pain Relievers
There are a range of over-the-counter (OTC) medications to helpmanage headache pain. These include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and other analgesic (pain-relieving) drugs like:
Excess Analgesic UseThough effective in temporarily easing pain, OTC pain relievers aren’t intended for long-term use. Taking NSAIDs more than three times a week can cause “rebound” or medication overuse headaches, causing worse symptoms with the use of the drug. Over 4,000 milligrams (mg) of Tylenol a day or use with more than three alcoholic drinks raises the risk of liver damage.
Excess Analgesic Use
Though effective in temporarily easing pain, OTC pain relievers aren’t intended for long-term use. Taking NSAIDs more than three times a week can cause “rebound” or medication overuse headaches, causing worse symptoms with the use of the drug. Over 4,000 milligrams (mg) of Tylenol a day or use with more than three alcoholic drinks raises the risk of liver damage.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
In most cases, tension headaches are mild to moderate and resolve independently. But sometimes, headaches can signify a more serious issue and require medical attention. Here’s when to contact a healthcare provider:
If tension headaches becomechronic and recurrent, a healthcare provider may prescribe medications to prevent attacks. Often, these are antidepressants, such as Elavil (amitriptyline), Remeron (mirtazapine), or Effexor (venlafaxine).
When to Seek Emergency Care
A severe headache can be a sign of a serious condition, such as a stroke or brain aneurysm. Get emergency help if you experience headache attacks that cause:
Summary
Tension headaches are mild to moderate headaches typically cause squeezing and pressure on both sides of the head. Stress typically triggers them, and they can last from 30 minutes to seven days. Techniques to ease symptoms include applying compresses, self-massage, and over-the-counter medications. Lifestyle changes and managing stress are among the ways to prevent this common issue.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Tension headache.Ashina S, Mitsikostas DD, Lee MJ, et al.Tension-type headache.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021;7(1):24. doi:10.1038/s41572-021-00257-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ice packs vs. warm compresses for pain.University of Michigan Health Michigan Medicine.Using ice and cold packs.MedlinePlus.Managing tension headaches at home.Moraska AF, Stenerson L, Butryn N, Krutsch JP, Schmiege SJ, Mann JD.Myofascial trigger point-focused head and neck massage for recurrent tension-type headache: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Clin J Pain. 2015;31(2):159-168. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000091National Institutes of Health.Getting it straight.Varangot-Reille C, Suso-Martí L, Romero-Palau M, Suárez-Pastor P, Cuenca-Martínez F.Effects of different therapeutic exercise modalities on migraine or tension-type headache: a systematic review and meta-analysis with a replicability analysis.J Pain. 2022;23(7):1099-1122. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2021.12.003Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: an overview.Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Fernández-Muñoz JJ, Palacios-Ceña M, Parás-Bravo P, Cigarán-Méndez M, Navarro-Pardo E.Sleep disturbances in tension-type headache and migraine.Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2017;11:1756285617745444. doi:10.1177/1756285617745444Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.Andrade C.Ginger for migraine.J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82(6):21f14325. doi:10.4088/JCP.21f14325Zduńska A, Cegielska J, Zduński S, Domitrz I.Caffeine for headaches: helpful or harmful? A brief review of the literature.Nutrients. 2023;15(14):3170. doi:10.3390/nu15143170Repiso-Guardeño A, Moreno-Morales N, Armenta-Pendón MA, Rodríguez-Martínez MDC, Pino-Lozano R, Armenta-Peinado JA.Physical therapy in tension-type headache: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(5):4466. doi:10.3390/ijerph20054466American Psychological Association.11 healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Tension headache.Ashina S, Mitsikostas DD, Lee MJ, et al.Tension-type headache.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021;7(1):24. doi:10.1038/s41572-021-00257-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ice packs vs. warm compresses for pain.University of Michigan Health Michigan Medicine.Using ice and cold packs.MedlinePlus.Managing tension headaches at home.Moraska AF, Stenerson L, Butryn N, Krutsch JP, Schmiege SJ, Mann JD.Myofascial trigger point-focused head and neck massage for recurrent tension-type headache: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Clin J Pain. 2015;31(2):159-168. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000091National Institutes of Health.Getting it straight.Varangot-Reille C, Suso-Martí L, Romero-Palau M, Suárez-Pastor P, Cuenca-Martínez F.Effects of different therapeutic exercise modalities on migraine or tension-type headache: a systematic review and meta-analysis with a replicability analysis.J Pain. 2022;23(7):1099-1122. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2021.12.003Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: an overview.Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Fernández-Muñoz JJ, Palacios-Ceña M, Parás-Bravo P, Cigarán-Méndez M, Navarro-Pardo E.Sleep disturbances in tension-type headache and migraine.Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2017;11:1756285617745444. doi:10.1177/1756285617745444Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.Andrade C.Ginger for migraine.J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82(6):21f14325. doi:10.4088/JCP.21f14325Zduńska A, Cegielska J, Zduński S, Domitrz I.Caffeine for headaches: helpful or harmful? A brief review of the literature.Nutrients. 2023;15(14):3170. doi:10.3390/nu15143170Repiso-Guardeño A, Moreno-Morales N, Armenta-Pendón MA, Rodríguez-Martínez MDC, Pino-Lozano R, Armenta-Peinado JA.Physical therapy in tension-type headache: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(5):4466. doi:10.3390/ijerph20054466American Psychological Association.11 healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Tension headache.Ashina S, Mitsikostas DD, Lee MJ, et al.Tension-type headache.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021;7(1):24. doi:10.1038/s41572-021-00257-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ice packs vs. warm compresses for pain.University of Michigan Health Michigan Medicine.Using ice and cold packs.MedlinePlus.Managing tension headaches at home.Moraska AF, Stenerson L, Butryn N, Krutsch JP, Schmiege SJ, Mann JD.Myofascial trigger point-focused head and neck massage for recurrent tension-type headache: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Clin J Pain. 2015;31(2):159-168. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000091National Institutes of Health.Getting it straight.Varangot-Reille C, Suso-Martí L, Romero-Palau M, Suárez-Pastor P, Cuenca-Martínez F.Effects of different therapeutic exercise modalities on migraine or tension-type headache: a systematic review and meta-analysis with a replicability analysis.J Pain. 2022;23(7):1099-1122. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2021.12.003Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: an overview.Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Fernández-Muñoz JJ, Palacios-Ceña M, Parás-Bravo P, Cigarán-Méndez M, Navarro-Pardo E.Sleep disturbances in tension-type headache and migraine.Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2017;11:1756285617745444. doi:10.1177/1756285617745444Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.Andrade C.Ginger for migraine.J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82(6):21f14325. doi:10.4088/JCP.21f14325Zduńska A, Cegielska J, Zduński S, Domitrz I.Caffeine for headaches: helpful or harmful? A brief review of the literature.Nutrients. 2023;15(14):3170. doi:10.3390/nu15143170Repiso-Guardeño A, Moreno-Morales N, Armenta-Pendón MA, Rodríguez-Martínez MDC, Pino-Lozano R, Armenta-Peinado JA.Physical therapy in tension-type headache: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(5):4466. doi:10.3390/ijerph20054466American Psychological Association.11 healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.
MedlinePlus.Tension headache.
Ashina S, Mitsikostas DD, Lee MJ, et al.Tension-type headache.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021;7(1):24. doi:10.1038/s41572-021-00257-2
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ice packs vs. warm compresses for pain.
University of Michigan Health Michigan Medicine.Using ice and cold packs.
MedlinePlus.Managing tension headaches at home.
Moraska AF, Stenerson L, Butryn N, Krutsch JP, Schmiege SJ, Mann JD.Myofascial trigger point-focused head and neck massage for recurrent tension-type headache: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Clin J Pain. 2015;31(2):159-168. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000091
National Institutes of Health.Getting it straight.
Varangot-Reille C, Suso-Martí L, Romero-Palau M, Suárez-Pastor P, Cuenca-Martínez F.Effects of different therapeutic exercise modalities on migraine or tension-type headache: a systematic review and meta-analysis with a replicability analysis.J Pain. 2022;23(7):1099-1122. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2021.12.003
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: an overview.
Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Fernández-Muñoz JJ, Palacios-Ceña M, Parás-Bravo P, Cigarán-Méndez M, Navarro-Pardo E.Sleep disturbances in tension-type headache and migraine.Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2017;11:1756285617745444. doi:10.1177/1756285617745444
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.
Andrade C.Ginger for migraine.J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82(6):21f14325. doi:10.4088/JCP.21f14325
Zduńska A, Cegielska J, Zduński S, Domitrz I.Caffeine for headaches: helpful or harmful? A brief review of the literature.Nutrients. 2023;15(14):3170. doi:10.3390/nu15143170
Repiso-Guardeño A, Moreno-Morales N, Armenta-Pendón MA, Rodríguez-Martínez MDC, Pino-Lozano R, Armenta-Peinado JA.Physical therapy in tension-type headache: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(5):4466. doi:10.3390/ijerph20054466
American Psychological Association.11 healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
