Natural Ways to Relieve Headaches

It never fails.  You have a deadline you are trying to meet, a parent-teacher conference or a long drive home in traffic and you are suddenly struck with a nagging headache.  Life doesn’t seem to want to stop just because of the pounding in your head.  Whether only get the occasional headache or suffer from a chronic form of headache, there are several natural options you can try to help ease your pain before resorting to medications.  Many of these natural treatments can be applied as soon as you start to feel that twinge of pain.

Natural Ways to Relieve Headaches

• Hydrate – Dehydration is a major cause of headache pain.  As soon as you feel the headache coming on start filling up your water bottle and hydrate your body.

• Acupressure/Massage – A well known acupressure point is located in the webbing between your thumb and pointer finger.  Using your opposite hand gently apply pressure to this area.  In addition gentle massage and pressure on the temples will help ease the pain.

• Riboflavin – This B vitamin has been shown to help ease headache pain.  Natural sources are milk, nuts, meat, and green veggies.

• Peppermint – The smell of peppermint helps reduce headache pain and helps people to relax.  Many massage lotions targeted for headache relief include peppermint.  A few dabs of essential oil on the temples will also help.  Peppermint tea is also another option to ease the pain.

• Exercise/Yoga – Studies show that regular exercise helps decrease headaches.  Even if you don’t exercise regularly, getting up for a walk and elevating your heart rate just slightly can help cure your headache.

• Sit or lie down in a darkened room for a few minutes.  Turn off overhead lights if possible.

• Avoid nitrites and sulfites in foods. These dilate blood vessels which causes more pain.

• Avoid excessive caffeine.  This can be a double edge sword because caffeine does help ease the pain of migraine headaches but excessive caffeine can also cause them.

• Magnesium – Eating foods rich in Magnesium has been shown to help prevent headaches, specifically migraines.  Foods rich in Magnesium include spinach, broccoli, beans, soy milk and nuts.  Magnesium supplements can also be purchased from vitamin shops.

• Feverfew – A member of the Sunflower family helps reduce inflammation which then takes pressure off of the nerves.  It can be eaten raw, brewed in to a tea, or taken in pill form.

• Hot/Cold Therapy – One effective trick is to fill a bath tub a few inches with very warm water.  Turn out the lights and place feet in the water.  Place an ice pack on the back of your neck and lean forward to put your hands in the water as well.  Rest in this position for 10-15 minutes.

• Getting adequate amounts of sleep in a healthy sleeping environment.

Some of these suggestions will help provide immediate relief from the pain of a headache and can be used just about anywhere.  Others are lifestyle changes that will take some time to implement in to your life.  There are many different causes of headaches and a huge spectrum of treatment and relief options.  As always, if your symptoms are chronic, worrisome, or are affecting your everyday life, consult a medical professional as soon as possible for treatment options.

More Natural Health Articles:

• The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
• The Health Benefits of Turmeric
• The Health Benefits of Flax Seeds
• The Health Benefits of Chia Seeds
• 20 Frugal Ways to Use Coconut Oil

Alicia can be found on her blog Moms Don’t Say That where she share recipes, tips, and musings from her life.