Sitting on an exercise ball is meant to help people improve their posture and strengthen their muscles. However, some people do not sit with the best posture when using an exercise ball. This can subject the muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and bones to stress. Headaches can be the result of this extra stress on the tissues of the body. The best way to avoid headaches is to manage stress, improve poor posture and relax the muscles.
Headaches
The type of headache that occurs after sitting on an exercise ball needs to be determined. Primary headaches are headaches that are not caused by another health condition. These are migraine headaches related to problems with the blood vessels, cluster headaches that happen in groups and can last for weeks at a time, and tension headaches that are related to nerve and muscle problems. Tension headaches are the most common headaches that occur and are related to poor posture and stress. Secondary headaches are related to an injury or a health condition.
Causes
If the headaches are only occurring after sitting on the exercise ball, the headache is probably a tension headache. The tension headache occurs because of the strain on the muscles of the neck. This headache can have tenderness of the muscles of the back of the skull or neck. It commonly starts at the base of the skull and wraps around to the top of the head. These headaches are frequent and occur after staying in one position for a long period. They are also common with anterior head carriage and poor posture.
Treatments
The causes must be addressed to resolve tension headaches. Massage will help to release the tension in the muscles of the neck. Ice or moist heat applied to the neck muscles can help to relax the tension in the muscle and decrease the severity of the headache as it is occurring. Learning to manage stress through yoga or meditation will help to decrease the occurrences of the headaches. Improving your posture often helps to relieve the tension headaches by reducing stress on the postural muscles.
Proper Posture
Proper posture, while sitting on an exercise ball, requires keeping your feet flat on the floor. The knees and hips should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Roll the shoulders back and relax the shoulders. Keep the head at a position where the ears are directly above the shoulders. This will decrease the strain on the neck muscles. If you are reading or using a computer while sitting on the exercise ball, keep the screen or reading material at eye level. Take frequent breaks.
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