Headaches during pregnancy are not uncommon. Especially due to the hormonal changes, the balance of the woman’s body gets out of balance, especially in the beginning. The circulation changes, the metabolism changes, the habits change. Headaches occur especially in the first months and shortly before delivery. If the woman was already suffering from migraine-like headaches before the pregnancy, the symptoms can often be relieved during pregnancy.
Exercises
Headaches during pregnancy are often caused by the changed circulatory situation. Exercises that activate the circulation help here. Walks in the fresh air also ensure a good supply of oxygen.
For headaches caused by the cervical spine, loosening and circulation-enhancing exercises for the shoulder and neck region help. 1) Shoulder circling backwards can loosen the muscles of the shoulder girdle and help to relieve headaches. The shoulder should always be rotated backwards to help straighten the spine.
Large, sweeping movements should be performed. 2) Stretching exercises for the neck muscles can also counteract headaches. The head is tilted to one (right) side, with the (right) hand the opposite shoulder is pressed down so that the (left) side of the neck is stretched.
The position can be held for about 20 seconds and should be repeated on the other side. 3) Relaxation: If headaches occur during pregnancy due to increasing stress and psychological tension, relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or relaxation according to Jacobsen can be helpful. 4) Breathing exercises: Breathing exercises are also easy to perform.
The pregnant woman lies in a comfortable position and puts her hands on her chest or abdomen. She closes her eyes and concentrates on the flow of her breathing. She breathes in through the nose and out through the mouth.
There are many different positions in which relaxing breathing exercises can be performed. They can also be helpful for headaches. This might also be of interest to you: Physiotherapy for headaches during pregnancy