5 Natural Headache Remedies
As Sunbury Chiropractor Daniel Chatfield points out, headaches are extremely common but can be debilitating. Chiropractic adjustments can be a big help for headaches and in the prevention of migraines. In addition, the lifestyle, diet and nutritional advice available to his patients at Chatfield Chiropractic, is helpful when a food may be a trigger or when the cause is stress and tension related.
To find out more about how Chiropractic might be beneficial if you are a headache sufferer, call the practice today on (03) 93039952 Roxburgh Park or (03) 9746 3977 Sunbury for an appointment.
Meanwhile, here are five simple, natural, remedies for headache compiled by Dr. Daniel and designed to help you tackle the cause of your pain without resorting to over the counter painkillers.
Stay Hydrated
Most of us do not drink enough water. Drinking tea and coffee or sugary drinks will not hydrate you properly, in fact, they can have the opposite effect. So while you think you may be drinking enough liquid every day, if you are not taking in plenty of water you are on track for a headache. Get in the habit of carrying water with you and don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink some.
Try Some Essential Oils
Aromatherapy can be very beneficial for headaches, helping you to relax and easing stress and tension.
Lavender oil should not be ingested – but a few drops sprinkled in your bath, added to an aromatherapy diffuser or even applied to your temples can work wonders.
Peppermint Oil is great when you have a cold, helping you to breathe more easily. When you have a headache, its property of opening up the sinuses, helps to get more oxygen into the bloodstream. It has a pleasant, cooling effect, helping to relax muscles and soothe pain.
Basil Oil has many medicinal properties. For a headache, make a hot or cold compress, whichever is the more soothing for you and add a couple of drops of the essential oil.
One note of caution, as with all Essential Oils, take advice on which ones are safe to use if you are pregnant or breast-feeding and be aware that some oils applied topically can irritate the skin.
Keep a Food Diary
Keeping a food diary in which you note the foods you eat each day and the days on which you experience headaches, can be very telling. Some foods can be triggers and if you identify a food or group of foods that are causing a problem for you, avoiding them and preventing a headache will be much better than having to resort to painkillers when pain strikes. The worst culprits include, cured meats (bacon, ham, etc.), takeaway foods that contain MSG, chocolate, peanut butter, red wine and some fruits and vegetables, most notably, bananas and onions.
Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation can be a cause of headache. There are things you can do reduce levels of inflammation naturally, for example:
Increase the levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. This can be from supplementation with fish oil and by consuming Omega-3 rich foods such as flaxseeds.
Increase your levels of Flavonoids such as the Rutin found in Buckwheat. Flavonoids are powerful anti-oxidants that have a beneficial effect on inflammation.
Try herbal teas such as Feverfew or Ginger. These have beneficial anti-inflammatory properties that will help in relieving pain.
Use Your Acupressure Points
Headache pain can be relieved by applying pressure to acupressure points. Try these three simple ones to begin with:
Hands: Extend the thumb of your left hand to the side. You will see there is a ‘web’ of skin between the thumb and the side of your hand. Apply pressure with the index finger and thumb of your other hand to the ‘webbing’. Breathe deeply and slowly while applying pressure for about a minute. Release and repeat with the opposite hand. This can be repeated as many times as required.
Feet: Find the area of webbing between the base of the big toe and the second toe on your left foot. Proceed as for hands (above) and repeat with the other foot.
Forehead. Press your index finger to the base of your forehead between your eyebrows and above your nose. Again, breathe deeply and slowly while applying moderate pressure for approximately one minute. Repeat as required.
Finally, as Dr. Chatfield points out, reaching for painkillers to get rid of head pain can be counter-productive. Daily, or very frequent, ‘painkiller’ or ‘rebound’ headaches develop as a result of using painkillers to treat headaches, making matters worse, instead of better. So please try out our natural headache remedies for yourself and if you suffer from migraine, or believe the root cause of your pain may be a bio-mechanical neck problem, call us on (03) 93039952 Roxburgh Park or (03) 9746 3977 Sunbury and book your initial appointment today.
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