Headache Pain Relief Network

I thought I’d tell you about a few natural headache pain relief methods that I’ve tried, and maybe one of them will help you.

We all get headaches, of various severity,  from time to time but you should remember that if headaches persist, or make you feel dizzy or give you double vision that you should visit your doctor to make sure there is nothing more serious causing them.

One common cause of headaches and migraines is stress, so getting rid of the cause of the stress is the obvious place to start although I do appreciate that this isn’t always possible. (Hey! I’m not recommending resigning from your job, or divorce!!!) Sometimes a hot shower or bath can help you to relax. Bubble bath or incense can help some people, although sometimes strong smells seem to aggravate matters, so find out what works for you and stick with it. Try and push any stressful thoughts out of your mind as you enjoy the hot water and you’ll soon find that as the stress disappears, so does the headache.

Another way of relaxing, and the one which works best for me, is to lay down with a cold face flannel on your head. Position it so the flannel covers your forehead and eyes. You can even fold some ice into the flannel if you have any, as otherwise it very quickly warms up. Again, push those stressful thoughts out of your mind.

If you concentrate on relaxing your body, one part at a time, you’ll soon start to feel better. Start with your your toes by first clenching the muscles to tense them up, then notice them relax as you stop clenching. Next are your calves, followed in turn by your thighs until your whole body is relaxed. Often you’ll find that you’ll be asleep, even before you finish relaxing every part!

Sleep is a great natural way of bringing about headache pain relief, if you can fit it into your schedule when the headache strikes. I realise this isn’t always possible but even a short nap will often help and make you feel more relaxed.

Exercise is another of my favourites. Anything from a gentle walk to a hard work out will help. Running works best for me or a swim. Swimming has the added benefit of the cool water which seems to helpwith my headaches. I find that exercise works best if you can fit it into your day as soon as you notice the first signs of a headache. If you leave it too long, until the headache is established, it can sometimes just make things worse. Regular daily exercise will often stop the headaches appearing in the first place so try and make time in your life if you can. Always make sure you keep yourself hydrated when you’re exercising as dehydration can cause headaches.

This brings us to another natural way to prevent headaches … Water … Always make sure you drink plenty! There seem to be many different recommendations as to how much you should drink but I think the best way is to just keep an eye on your urine and make sure you drink enough to keep it very light coloured and clear. If you notice that your urine is dark yellow or brown, or indeed that you’re not urinating at all, then you need to be drinking more water.

A lot of us have triggers which we know will bring on a headache or migraine, so it makes sense to avoid these whenever possible. Smoking and caffeine are common triggers and others can be alcoholic drinks, or foods like cheese and chocolate. They are often things we enjoy which makes it difficult to cut them out of our diet completely but do your best and be prepared for the consequences if you don’t! Sometimes it can be worth having the occasional headache to be able to enjoy one of life’s pleasures!