Headaches. We’ve all had one at one time or another. In fact, the head is the most common site for body aches. Headaches can range from mildly annoying to being so severe they bring your daily life to a screeching halt. There are several types of headaches: tension, migraine, cluster headaches and headaches caused by injury or illness. The most common type is tension headaches, with migraines following as a close second. Tension headaches occur mostly in women with one in 20 people experiencing a tension headache every day. The most obvious way to treat headaches of the tension type is reaching for a non-steroidal medication such as Advil or Aleve, but here is a list of alternative ways to treat the pain.
- Biofeedback: Uses electronic sensors to monitor body functions like muscle tension, temperature, heart rate and blood pressure and feeds data into a computer producing information to teach patients how to control their bodily responses to tension.
- Massage: For temporary relief, try rubbing your temples or getting a back, neck or head massage.
- Stretching: Increasing your neck range of motion (chin forward, upward and toward each shoulder), shoulder shrug. Do these exercises twice a day.
- Exercise: Especially yoga and aerobic exercise such as walking or swimming have been known to decrease the number of tension and migraine headaches.
- Meditation: Quieting the mind and body has been found to reduce the frequency of headaches.
- Relaxation exercises: Deep breathing, relaxing music or mental imagery.
- Heat or ice: Apply to your head four times per day up to 15 minutes each time.
- Diet: Keep a food diary if headaches are frequent to determine a possible food correlation.
- Use of essential oils: Lavender, peppermint or basil oil.Apply four drops to boiling water to inhale the vapors or apply two to four drops topically. Do not take oil orally.
Melanie Yunger is a local wife, mom and nurse practitioner who experiences an occasional tension headache.
As always, please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns.