Work stress, family demands skimpy sleep schedules—everyday stresses can give us all a headache every now and then. Try these natural remedies to help ease your
pain
Oh, my aching head! In a world of traffic jams,
tight schedules, and high-speed everything, it’s
no wonder we find ourselves popping an
occasional pain reliever. For a bad headache,
choose one that contains a combination of
aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine. (Off-
limits...if you have a bleeding disorder,
asthma, ulcers, or liver or kidney damage.) But
painkillers are only part of the solution.
There’s much more you can do to escape the
thump and wallop of a throbbing noggin.
Give it some good press
• With a firm, circular motion, massage the
web of skin between the base of your thumb
and your forefinger. Continue massaging for
several minutes, then switch hands and repeat
until the pain resolves. Acupressure experts
call this fleshy area trigger point LIG4 and
maintain that it is linked to areas of the
brain where headaches originate.
Heat up and cool down
• Believe it or not, soaking your feet in hot
water will help your head feel better. By
drawing blood to your feet, the hot-water
footbath will ease pressure on the blood
vessels in your head. For a really bad
headache, add a bit of hot mustard powder to
the water.
• For a tension headache, place a hot compress
on your forehead or the back on your neck.
T he heat will help relax knotted-up muscles
in this area.
• It might sound contradictory, but you can
follow up the heat treatment (or substitute it)
by applying a cold compress to your
forehead. (Put a couple of ice cubes in a
washcloth or use a bag of frozen vegetables.)
Cold constricts blood vessels, and when they
shrink, they stop pressing on sensitive nerves.
Since headache pain sometimes originates in
nerves in back of your neck, try moving the
compress to the muscles at the base of your
skull.
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• Here’s an alternative to a cold compress:
Soak your hands in ice water for as long as
you can stand it. While your hands are
submerged, repeatedly open and close your
fists. This works on the same principle as an
ice pack on your head—the cold narrows your
dilated blood vessels.
Try the caffeine cure
• Have a cup of strong coffee . Caffeine
reduces blood-vessel swelling, and thus can
help relieve a headache. This is why caffeine
is an ingredient in some extra-strength
painkillers like Excedrin. However, if you are
already a heavy coffee drinker, skip this.
Caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches,
creating a vicious cycle.
Do something constrictive
• Tie a bandanna, scarf, or necktie around your
forehead, then tighten it just to the point
where you can feel pressure all around your
head. By reducing the flow of blood to your
scalp, this can help relieve the pain caused
by swollen blood vessels. You might try
soaking the bandanna in vinegar, a traditional
headache remedy.
Soothe with scent
• Certain essential oils—especially lavender—
can help ease tension and relieve the pain of a
headache. Gently massage a bit of lavender
oil onto your forehead and temples, then lie
back and enjoy the relaxing scent. For
maximum relief, slip away to a room that’s
cool, dark, and quiet. The longer you can lie
there quietly breathing in the aroma, the
better.
• In addition to lavender oil—or instead of it—
use peppermint oil. The menthol it contains
can help dissolve away a headache. Its
fragrance at first stimulates, then relaxes, the
nerves that cause headache pain.
• If you have a vaporizer, add seven drops
lavender oil and three drops peppermint oil,
then breathe in the relief. If you don’t, try
sprinkling a few drops of peppermint oil on
a tissue. Inhale deeply several times.
• Try wringing out two wet peppermint tea
bags and place them on your closed eyelids or
forehead for five minutes.
Swallow some throb stoppers
• An anti-inflammatory, ginger was
traditionally used to treat headaches, and
it seems to work. Grind up a half-teaspoon
ginger, stir it into a glass of water, and drink
this “ginger juice.” Or pour 1 cup hot water
over 1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger, let the
tea cool a bit, then drink it. Ginger is
especially effective against migraines,
though how it works is not well understood.
Doctors do know that ginger has an effect on
prostaglandins, hormonelike substances that
contribute to inflammation. Ginger also helps
control the nausea that so often accompanies
migraines.
• Try drinking a cup of rosemary tea; some
people say it helps keep a headache from
getting worse. Pour 1 cup boiling water over
1 teaspoon of the dried herb, steep for 10
minutes, strain, and drink.
• At least one grandmother counted on strong
black tea with a few bruised whole cloves
added. Tea contains caffeine, and cloves
have anti-inflammatory properties , so the
brew might indeed help a headache.
• Down a large glass of water and see if it
helps. Dehydration can cause a headache.
The power of prevention
• If you grind your teeth or clench your jaw—
either when you’re awake or asleep—take steps
to prevent the problem. You might need to
wear a mouth guard at night.
• Eat at regular intervals. There’s evidence
that a drop in blood sugar—the result of going
too long without eating—can set the stage for
headaches.
• At least three days a week, spend 30
minutes walking, cycling, swimming, or
doing some other form of aerobic exercise.
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