Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety is clear to the sufferers. Accordingly, I like to call it ‘heavy head anxiety.’ Your head feels like a vice.

When I was having problems with the akathisia , my neck and shoulder muscles were constantly flexing so, I was getting really bad headaches.

All in all, the anxiety was not helping with this. It made the movements worse, so the headaches got worse. I was downing Aleve like out of control during those periods.

Since my anxiety (and the movements) hasn’t been as bad lately, the headaches haven’t been as bad.

Can Anxiety Cause Headaches?

Yes, anxiety can cause headaches, including chronic daily headaches and migraines.

Altogether, people with anxiety disorders, especially generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), are more likely to experience migraine type of headaches. 

In fact, the American Migraine Foundation reports that 20% of people with episodic migraines and 30–50% of those with chronic migraines also have anxiety.

Anxiety Head Symptoms

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. Basically, anxiety headache symptoms vary depending on the type of headache your anxiety triggers.

While tension headaches cause mild to moderate head pain, migraines typically cause severe pain that interferes with your routine. 

Since headaches can be triggered by many different lifestyle and environmental triggers, knowing the symptoms of anxiety can help you determine if it’s triggering your headaches.

Common anxiety symptoms include:

• Firstly, feeling nervous or tense
• Having a sense of impending doom
• Increased heart rate
• Fourthly, rapid breathing or hyperventilation
• Unusual sweating or trembling
• Difficulty concentrating
• Additionally, difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Pain that feels like a throb or pulsation
• Tingling in the face, arm, or leg on one side
• In addition, seeing spots or flashing lights
• Feeling lightheaded or fainting
• Lastly, blurry vision

If your anxiety symptoms persist, occur frequently, or interfere with your daily life, ask your doctor about potential treatment.

While lifestyle changes can help reduce anxiety, some people may need additional help from therapy or anti-anxiety medication.

Panic Attack Headache

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. Comparatively, three types of headaches most commonly associated with anxiety are tension headaches, migraine attacks and cluster headaches.

Henceforth, tension headaches, which typically occur with anxiety and depression, can cause mild to intense pain in your neck, behind your eyes, and around your head.

While they can impair your quality of life, aren’t always disruptive to your daily routine and may improve fairly quickly.

Symptoms of a tension headache may include:

• firstly, tense muscles around the neck, head, and face
• tender neck, shoulders, and scalp
• squeezing pain around the head that may feel like a tight band
• mild to moderate pain
• lastly, dull or aching pain

On the other hand, migraine attacks can be severe enough to disrupt your daily activities and may get worse through physical activity.

Symptoms of a migraine attack include:

• firstly, severe pain, usually only on one side of the head
• severe pain that lasts a few hours to a few days
• throbbing, pounding, or pulsating pain
• additionally, sensitivity to light, noise, or smells
• nausea and vomiting
• lastly, migraine aura, which are sensory symptoms like vision distortions that may happen before or during a migraine attack

Cluster headaches are a rare neurological disorder that cause severe, one-sided headaches that usually last at least 30 minutes and can occur multiple times a day.

Symptoms of Cluster Headache Include:

• firstly, extremely severe pain
• watery eyes
• runny nose
• lastly, sweaty face

Neck Tension Anxiety

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. To me, neck tension anxiety is worse than a headache.

By and large, every which way you turn your head it hurts. I used to have a lot of tension in my neck.

Therefore, it would start with the shoulders through the neck to my head. I’d have anxiety, then I would get shoulder movements

This, in turn, caused the muscles in my neck to become inflamed. Eventually, my head would start to hurt-just like clock work.

Overthinking Headache

Consequently, have you ever had the overthinking headache? Seriously, anxiety will only allow you to think about one thing and you obssess over it.

This especially happens when you’re trying to fall asleep. Furthermore, you think of something that should’ve, could’ve or won’t happen and ruminate over it.

Then the tension in your head starts to build. Soon it turns into a tension headache or worse, a migraine.

Indeed, every anxiety sufferer has to know (or experienced) the overthinking headache. Your brain does some goofy stuff.

How Does an Anxiety Headache Feel?

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. Generally, anxiety headaches can feel like a dull, constant ache on both sides of the head. Also, they can feel like pressure or tightness across the forehead or on the sides and back of the head.

The pain can range from mild to severe and may last for hours or days. The affected area may also feel tender, and your head may hurt more when touched. 

How to get Rid of Anxiety Head Pressure?

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. One non-medicated way to alleviate the symptoms of a stress headache is through acupressure, a technique where pressure is applied to specific points on the body to release tension and promote relaxation.

Rather than go down the route of medicating, many individuals often seek a more natural way to manage chronic conditions including frequent tension headaches. 

Acupressure therapy, deeply rooted in the discipline of Chinese medicine, It also has been a go-to solution for many who are dealing with persistent headache pain and looking to avoid the side effects associated with some Western medicine approaches.

Moreover, this therapy involves stimulating specific parts of the body known as acupressure points or acupuncture points, which are believed to have a direct connection with the nervous system. 

Therefore, the objective of using these pressure points is to alleviate symptoms, enhance blood circulation, and balance the flow of qi (energy) throughout the body.

Use your fingers or thumbs to apply firm, but not painful, pressure on each point.

Basically, massage each point in a slow, circular motion for about 1 to 2 minutes. Here are the best pressure points to focus on:

1. Feng Chi (GB20)

The “Well Pressure Point,” also known as the “Wind Pool” or Feng Chi in Chinese Medicine

Location: Overall, found at the base of the skull, the Feng Chi points are situated on each side of the neck, between the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the trapezius.

How to Use: To locate these points, trace a finger from the back of your ear down to your neck until you find a depression at the base of your skull. Given that, apply gentle pressure in a circular motion using your index or middle finger. This point is known to relieve headaches, eye blurriness, and fatigue.

This technique is known to stimulate blood flow and relieve tension that often accumulates in this part of the body. Therefore, you might find these points to be extra sensitive, especially if you’re experiencing a tension headache or a migraine. 

2. He Gu (LI4)

Location: The He Gu point is located on the hand, between the thumb and index finger, at the highest point of the muscle when the thumb and index finger are brought close together.

How to Use: Using the thumb and forefinger of your other hand, apply a firm pressure and massage this area in a circular motion. Hence, this point can help to relieve headaches, toothaches, and neck pain.

After locating this headache pressure point, which is sometimes extra sensitive in individuals experiencing cluster headaches, take deep breaths as you massage gently to enhance pain relief

3. Tai Yang

Location: The Tai Yang points are found on the temples, about a finger’s width away from the outer edge of the eyebrows.

How to Use: In addition, gently massage this point with your fingertips using circular movements. Massaging this point can help alleviate headaches and tension in the temples.

4. Zan Zhu (BL2)

Location: This point is located at the inner corners of the eyebrows, just above the bridge of the nose.

How to Use: Use your index fingers to apply pressure on both points simultaneously. This can help relieve sinus headaches and eye strain.

5. Ying Xiang (LI20)

Location: Located on either side of the nostrils, in the depression of the cheek.

How to Use: Using your index fingers, press these points and move in a circular motion. Hence, it helps in relieving headaches and also unblocks the nose.

6. Third Eye Pressure Point

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. This is referred to as “Yintang” in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Location: Located between the eyebrows, where the bridge of your nose meets your forehead, this is often referred to as the “third eye” in traditional Chinese medicine.

How to Use: Use the index finger of the opposite hand to apply a gentle but firm touch on this point.

Particularly, it is believed to alleviate sinus pressure and headache symptoms, particularly those associated with sinus pain. This point is also known to help reduce the intensity of headaches.

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. For individuals with tension at the back of the head or neck, combining the third eye pressure point massage with gentle movements at the back of your head can be beneficial.

Nonetheless, engaging these well-known pressure points can sometimes reduce the average number of headaches experienced over time.

7. Union Valley Pressure Point

Location: Found on the web between the thumb and the index finger, it is technically part of the large intestine meridian, known as the Union Valley point in Chinese medicine.

How to Use: Use the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand to apply pressure at this point.

In a word, this point is beneficial for headache relief, especially from tension headaches and migraine attacks. Massage this point in small circles to relieve head pain and ease migraine pain.

You might find that the effectiveness of massaging this acupressure point is increased by simultaneously applying gentle pressure with the base of your thumb on the opposite side, effectively engaging the trigger points in the surrounding area.

8. Drilling Bamboo (B2)

Location: The Drilling Bamboo points are situated at the inner corners of the eyes, just above the bridge of the nose. You’ll find these points in the indentations where the bridge of the nose meets the ridge of the eyebrows.

How to Use: Therefore, using your index fingers, apply gentle pressure on these points for about 1-2 minutes. You might find this particularly helpful in relieving sinus pain and pressure, which often accompanies headaches.

For the most part, you can either perform a steady application of pressure or gently massage the points in a circular motion, whichever feels more soothing.

It is not uncommon to feel a slight relief in sinus pressure and headache intensity almost immediately.

9. Shoulder Point Relief

This point is known as “Jian Jing” or “GB 21” in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Location: The shoulder point, also known as Jian Jing, is found at the edge of your shoulder, halfway between the base of your neck and your shoulder muscle.

Therefore, This point can be particularly effective for headaches located at the back of the head.

How to Use: Using a tennis ball or your ring finger, apply firm pressure and perform a circular massage on this point.

Particularly, it can often provide immediate relief, especially when combined with pressure on the inner wrist points, another critical headache point.

Repeat on the different location on the other shoulder to ensure symmetrical relief.

10. Inner Wrist Point (PC6)

Location: The inner wrist point, also known as Nei Guan or PC6, is situated approximately three finger-widths below the wrist, in the space between the two prominent tendons in the middle of the inner wrist.

How to Use: To stimulate this point, use your thumb to apply a steady pressure, massaging in small circles for 1-2 minutes. You can do this on one wrist at a time, or even stimulate both wrists simultaneously using thumbs from the opposite hands.

It is believed to help in reducing the intensity of headaches and promoting relaxation.

Otherwise, for those suffering from chronic conditions, integrating this point into your daily routine can potentially aid in reducing the average number of headaches over a period.

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. Adding stimulation of this point into your routine, especially during a migraine attack or intense headache, might offer substantial relief.

Thus, combining this with deep breaths can sometimes enhance its effectiveness, helping to relax the surrounding muscles and improve blood flow.

Pressure Point Diagrams

Sum It All Up

Breaking point: the link between headaches from anxiety. I used to know how to do reflexology, but that was in my youthful days when I was doing massage. That was until akathisia struck.

It totally ruined my life along with the anxiety and panic attacks. Pitty party over with. I look at it this way: if all the anxiety and panic attacks didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have the life I have today.

And for the most part, I can say I’m content. Subsequently, I’m going to be moving into my own place, I’ll adopt some new kitties for companionship, and I’m actually looking forward towards the future.

So, no headache is going to ruin that. You have to find the positive no matter how negative things seem. That’s the only way to survive in this world. Until next time…

Articles About Headaches From Anxiety

-What Is an Anxiety Headache?

https://www.healthline.com/health/headache/anxiety-headaches

-What Does An Anxiety Headache Feel Like?

https://lumawellnesscenter.com/what-does-an-anxiety-headache-feel-like/

-Anxiety Headache

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/anxiety-headaches-link

Have a Good One,

Cindee Murphy, One Voice In The Vastness Of Voices

“Anxiety is love’s greatest killer. It makes others feel as you might when a drowning man holds on to you. You want to save him, but you know he will strangle you with his panic.” —Anais Nin

“Feeling the need to be busy all the time is a trauma-based response and fear-based distraction you’d be forced to acknowledge and feel if you slowed down.” —Tutu Mora

“A man will be imprisoned in a room with a door that’s unlocked and opens inwards; as long as it does not occur to him to pull rather than push.” —Ludwig Wittgenstein

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