Why Does My Head Hurt After Running or Working Out? Understanding Exercise Migraine and Relief Tips

In this video, Hina from Rebalance discusses the common problem of experiencing headaches before or after running, or after playing intense sports. Hina shares her own experience of having significant headaches that would last a day or more if she didn't take Advil, and explains the simple reason why this was happening.
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If you are also experiencing headaches after working out, this video is for you.
Here are four common reasons why you’re experiencing headaches after running:
1. Dehydration: Your body needs lots of water. When you’re running, you’re sweating and all of the water in your body is releasing. You need to replenish that water by drinking lots of water.
A common mistake people make is drinking sports drinks. In our next post, Elayne will explain why, in most cases, you should skip the sports drink and choose water instead.
2. Blood sugar: It’s possible your blood sugar isn’t staying balanced. If you go run or play sports and you haven’t had an adequate amount of food, that can lead to dizziness and headaches.
Don’t just eat simple carbs - have lots of complex carbs. Make sure you’re eating something with protein that has a low glycemic index, such as a handful of nuts. That will help stabilize your blood sugar.
3. Electrolyte deficiency: This is where most people think about drinking a sports drink. It’s misconceiving to think that you’ll need a sports drink after you run. You actually may not need a sports drink unless you’re going for a really long run.
Electrolyte deficiency was causing my headaches. I was drinking plenty of water and sports drinks, but what ended up helping my headaches was drinking chicken broth.
I had just run five miles and got an intense headache. There just so happened to be chicken broth and I drank it and immediately my headache went away. I figured out the reason the chicken broth helped was from the SALT.
I was losing salt from my body through my run. That was enough to deplete my salt and sodium and change the electrolyte balance in my body.
So, instead of reaching for a sports drink, think about reaching for something salty. You can use salt tabs, but something as simple as chicken or vegetable broth or a handful of pretzels might do the trick.
4. Postural Changes: When you run, you’re using your whole body. If you know your form might be off or you’re having neck pain, then you might be using muscles are imbalanced.
There are tons of neck muscles that attach your spine to your head. There are superficial muscles that lay right under your skin near the surface and deeper muscles that hook onto your spine. If you have postural changes when you run, you might be over utilizing these muscles, which can cause them to become tense and develop spasms called trigger points. When those trigger points become active and painful they can set off a headache.
If you’re experiencing headaches and you’ve tried the first three items, your headaches might be coming from postural issues. It’s important to be evaluated by a holistic, integrative physical therapist who can treat your whole body to determine the issue.
If you live in the Philadelphia area, you can give us a call 267-282-1301 or www.rebalancept.com. If you don’t live in Philadelphia area, go to our website www.rebalancept.com and shoot us an email and let us know if you need help finding a physical therapist.
Remember, this video is for educational purposes only, please consult your doctor before receiving any form of treatment.
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We are a pelvic floor and orthopedic physical therapy practice based in Philadelphia and on the Main Line in Pennsylvania. Our mission is to help people overcome pelvic pain and dysfunction through physical therapy, education, and support.
If you or someone you know is struggling with pelvic pain, click on the links below to learn more:
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DISCLAIMER: Please note that this video is for demonstration purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for in-person treatment. If you're experiencing any physical condition or illness, please consult your doctor before receiving any form of treatment.
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