Allergies
Lifestyle
Consistent exercise can produce the body’s natural painkiller, endorphins. Exercise might be worthwhile for dilation of blood vessels, which makes more blood flow and fights against the constriction that happens when nearly all migraines begin. To stop a tension headache in its tracks, attempt this exercise while breathing deep and visualizing nice things: While sitting, breathe in and softly tilt your head back and look up (don’t go back too much, since this can interfere with your spine); breathe out and move your head forward until your chin rests on your chest; try this two times.
Maintaining a diary will assist you in finding the reason for your particular headache pattern.
The diary should be able to answer the following 10 questions:
1. When did these headaches start occurring?
2. What are their frequency?
3. Before the headaches start, do you feel any other symptoms?
4. Where is the pain located?
5. What is it’s duration?
6. When do these headaches usually happen?
7. Have you digested any food prior to your headaches?
8. If you are a woman, what phase of your cycle are you in when they occur?
9. Do headaches start from physical or environmental issues, like fragrances, noise, or specific weather conditions?
10. What words are best used to explain how much pain your headache causes: does it throb, stab, blind, or pierce… etc?
MASSAGE
Massage therapy can reduce tightness serious enough to cause headaches, loosening the head, neck, shoulders and face muscles. You might also want to try giving yourself a 10-minute scalp massage: Put both middle fingers on your forehead near your hairline; then, applying pressure gently, gradually move them back toward the crown of your head, following your hairline, continue this motion in small (12mm) increments until you reach your temples, then rotate your fingers on both sides for a few minutes, then bring both thumbs to the base of your skull following your hairline, and massage both sides of your skull up to your crown to ease the pressure.
MIND/BODY MEDICINE
Lowering stress through meditation and relaxation techniques can help relieve tension headache pain. Stress can be regulated with biofeedback training techniques. Thermal feedback, a method of biofeedback, can be used to treat migraine; in this method you are taught how to raise the temperature of your hands and feet. The extremities can be warmed up when the vessels that transport the blood are dilated, which might reduce abnormal closing of the blood vessels in the head and potentially end up as a decrease in migraines, feelings of pain, and the amount of time the pain lasts.
NUTRITION AND DIET
Cheeses, processed meats that contain sodium nitrates or MSC, a food additive, chocolate, citrus fruits, and red wine are among the foods that are associated with migraine headaches. Maintaining a food diary will assist you in finding which food to remove from your diet. Because magnesium helps to dilate constricted blood vessels, reduced levels of this mineral can aggravate both cluster and migraine headaches. Taking 200 mg of supplemental dosages might prevent future occurrences. Take niacin and niacinamide in 50 mg to 200 mg doses the first time you feel pain and this might help the blood vessels remain open, as well as it could decrease the initial constriction point of a migraine and prevent it from happening.
OSTEOPATHY
The theory of osteopaths is that headache pain originates from pressure on nerves or blood vessels, and that soft-tissue massage or neuromuscular manipulation of the affected regions can alleviate the discomfort.
Tags: headache, painkiller
