10 Natural Ways to Soothe Headaches
The dreaded headache. Pain can radiate from behind the eyes into your neck, shoulders, and chest. Sometimes it stabs at the back of your eyes and causes your eyes to water or sounds to be completely horrible. The good news is that while headaches are nothing but pain, there are a variety of ways to treat them. Here are ten surefire ways to soothe headaches in a natural way.
1 Massage
Though relief is temporary, massaging the aching areas will help reduce headache pain. You can try rubbing the temples, neck, back, head, and shoulders to see if the throbbing or stabbing goes away.
More: 7 Benefits of Massage
A weekly massage session in these regions may reduce migraines and even promote better sleep. The reason why massage provides relief is due to the therapeutic movements of the skin around tightened areas. When blood flow is increased, the affected areas can relax. We can
2 Magnesium
Much safer than a painkiller but way more successful. Usually, those who suffer from migraines in the first place have low levels of magnesium, so if you increase your intake, you reduce the prevalence of migraine headaches.
More: 5 Excellent Vegan Sources of Magnesium
Magnesium can also block the pain-transmitting chemicals found in the brain, improves platelet function, and also prevents the cortical spreading of depression. This signal is what produces altered visual and auditory sensations that usually occur with a migraine.
To use magnesium to the best of its abilities, take 200-600 milligrams of it a day. Magnesium can be used safely by women who are pregnant too. The only side effect you have to be aware of is diarrhea. Just lower the dosage.
3 Acupuncture
With this therapeutic measure, thin needles are inserted under the skin to change the flow of energy in the body. Though a treatment might be more of an expense than you can afford (ranging between $60-120 per session), the effect may make it worthwhile.More: Migraine Management for Busy Career Women
An expert analysis called the Cochrane review found that acupuncture can prevent acute migraines. Evidence also leads many health professionals to believe that people suffering from chronic tension-type headaches can gain relief with acupuncture.
4 Biofeedback
If the thought of getting needles in the face scares you, there is biofeedback. This method uses electronic sensors to monitor body functions. Though the actual session does not provide any outright relief, the goal is to teach those suffering from headaches and migraines how to control their bodily responses so that muscle tension can be relieved. The insight a session provides may be all you need.
5 Peppermint and lavender essential oils
Using essential oil is not just for aromatherapy. Peppermint oil has a long-lasting cooling effect on the skin, which will stimulate blood flow to the affected regions of the forehead so muscle contractions that cause a headache can be soothed.Lavender oil works slightly differently. This oil is known to be a mood stabilizer and has sedative qualities. In 2012, there was a study that had participants inhale lavender oil for 15 minutes. Out of 129 headache attacks, 92 were positively affected by the lavender oil remedy. So if you used them both together, you would have an all-natural, invincible shield against headaches and migraines.
Read also – 4 Different Types of Mood Swings and How to Beat Them
6 Feverfew and butterbur
These two herbs can naturally relieve headaches. Feverfew’s leaves are often used to make medicine for the following symptoms: pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise. The School of Postgraduate Medicine and Health Science in the UK did six studies that yielded similar results. By taking feverfew supplements (usually around 50-100 milligrams) or extract, headache and migraines were relieved.Then there is Butterbur, a herb that reduces the inflammation that can trigger migraines and headaches. Butterbur is also a beta blocker, meaning that it normalizes blood flow to the brain. If you take 75 milligrams twice a day, headaches will be reduced. We
7 Chiropractic care and posture
Drug-free and surgery-free is the way to go. That makes chiropractic care a clear choice. You may be thinking that having someone pull and twist your spine will not have any effects on your headaches, but think again. Though it may not work for everyone, chiropractic adjustments may alleviate the stressors on your system that cause headaches.The better posture you have, the less pinching and improper pulling of nerves there is. In a Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College study, out of 729 subjects, 613 who received chiropractic care rated their relief from headaches and migraines as “good” or “excellent.”
8 Aerobics
Regular exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, biking, swimming, and hiking can be a great way to relieve headaches. Plus, if you have an intense migraine, the fresh air is noted to do you good. There was a small study done by the medical journal Headache, which studied the effects of exercise on migraine sufferers.More: 10 Exercises That Will Transform Your Body
The participants did not have any regular exercise prior to the study and engaged in a 12-week indoor cycling program. The results showed that not only did the quality of life improve, but so did their migraines. In fact, the number and intensity of migraines were reduced.
9 Heat and cold therapy
This is a no-risk therapy that is especially effective against migraines that anyone can use, even pregnant women and very young children. Sometimes, the best way to take care of unrelenting pain is a little hot and cold therapy.When you want to alleviate tightness, apply heat to the back of the neck. When you have a pulsing headache behind the eyes or temples, put ice on the affected spot. By letting the temperature of the blood cool, relieves the throbbing. We can get
10 Yoga
Better you did not realize how great yoga is for headaches. There are various postures in this exercise method that aid in relieving pressure and tension that can cause headaches. Yoga, a combination of empowering physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation melts away any imbalances. The mind and body are simultaneously soothed.The best postures for combating headaches include camel pose, downward dog, wide angle standing forward bend, head-to-knee pose, and upward facing dog pose. However, any yoga practice is going to help with tension, so enjoy a class today.
Read also – Your Ideal Yoga Style Based on Your Zodiac Sign
When it comes to dealing with crippling headaches, you are not alone. The number of people who report debilitating headaches reaches the millions, especially in America. Though the focus on trouncing the pain is often thought to be headache medicine, one of these ten ways for soothing headache pain will definitely provide you relief.
Womanitely does not provide any professional medical advice. The information mentioned in the article is provided for educational purposes only. Consult your doctor before trying any of these methods.