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16 Sanakara
Headache
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Headaches come in all sizes and shapes. Tension headaches are the most
common. They start when muscles tighten in your head and neck, then press
on blood vessels in your scalp. You may also get cluster headaches, which
are extremely painful and isolated to one part of your head. Migraines are
the granddaddy of headaches, can last for hours and hours and may be caused
by anything from food reactions to changes in barometric pressure. The natural
remedies in this chapter-in conjunction with medical care and used with
your doctor's approval-may help prevent a headache or relieve its symptoms,
according to some health professionals. |
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See Your Medical Doctor When...
· Your headaches are getting stronger and more frequent.
· You also notice numbness, blurred vision, memory loss or dizziness.
· You have a headache after a severe head injury.
· Your headaches are caused by exercise.
· Your headaches start disrupting your life-for example, you start
missing work because of recurring headaches. |
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Acupressure
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The Gates of Consciousness points, GB 20, can relieve tension headaches
as well as neck pain, says Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., director of the Acupressure
Institute in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure's Potent Points.
Dr. Gach says to use the thumbs of both hands to press the GB 20 points,
which are situated two inches out from the middle of your neck, underneath
the base of the skull. (To help locate these points, refer to the illustration
on page 565.) He suggests sitting in a chair and bending over, with your
elbows propped on a table or desk, to make holding these points most comfortable.
Breathe deeply and press firmly for one to two minutes.
Point LI 4 is especially helpful for frontal headaches, according to Dr.
Gach. He explains that the point lies in the webbing between the thumb and
index finger, close to the bone at the base of the index finger. (To help
locate this point, refer to the illustration on page 565.) Holding the point
with your thumb on top of the webbing and your index finger underneath,
angle the pressure toward the bone that connects the index finger to the
hand, says Dr. Gach. Hold for one minute, then repeat on your other hand.
This is not recommended for pregnant women, says Dr. Gach, because pressing
the LI 4 points can cause uterine contractions. |
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Aromatherapy
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The cool scent of peppermint can often relieve headache pain, says Los
Angeles aromatherapist Michael Scholes, of Aromatherapy Seminars, an organization
that trains professionals and others in the use of essential oils. He suggests
adding a drop of peppermint essential oil to any unscented facial lotion
and applying the lotion under the nose and behind the ears. Inhaling the
fragrance of peppermint from the bottle can also take the edge off a headache,
he says.
For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including
cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential
oils, refer to the resource list on page 633. |
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Ayurveda
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Throbbing, pulsating headaches that are aggravated by high altitude, that
get worse when you move your body and that subside when you rest are vata
headaches, according to Ayurvedic practitioners. They say these headaches
are caused by constipation and an accumulation of toxins in the colon. (For
more information on the doshas of Ayurveda, see "All about Vata, Pitta
and Kapha" on page 28.)
Try a plain warm-water enema to relieve constipation, suggests Vasant Lad,
B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc., director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. (See "How to Perform an Enema" on page 76 for instructions.)
To relieve the pain of a vata headache, he suggests rubbing the scalp and
the soles of the feet with sesame oil (available in most health food stores).
"Massage the neck, shoulders and upper back with sesame oil, too, and
then take a hot shower," he says.
Vata headaches are frequently accompanied by dehydration, says Dr. Lad.
He suggests sipping a mixture of one tablespoon of sugar, ¼ teaspoon
of salt, the juice of half of a lime and one pint of water.
Shooting, burning, piercing pitta headaches are worsened by bright light
and associated with nausea, Dr. Lad says. Pain is often felt behind the
eyes, and the headache may be accompanied by dizziness. These headaches
are connected to stomach problems, he says.
Dr. Lad suggests this remedy for a pitta headache: Mix one teaspoon of sandalwood
powder (available from Indian grocers or from Ayurvedic practitioners) with
enough water to make a paste, then apply this sandalwood paste to your forehead
and temples. Wash off the paste after it has become dry and crumbly. Then,
he says, put a few drops of warm liquid ghee, or clarified but ter (see
"How to Make Ghee" on page 26 for a recipe), into the palm of
your hand and sniff the drops into your nostrils. Sometimes pitta headaches
can be relieved by eating something sweet, says Dr. Lad, who recommends
tapioca pudding.
If your headaches tend to occur in winter and spring, generally strike in
the morning and evening and get worse when you bend down, you're getting
kapha headaches, according to Dr. Lad. Kapha headaches are usually accompanied
by sinus congestion or colds, he says, and are symptoms of hay fever and
other allergies. The pain is usually dull and deep-seated and makes you
feel drowsy.
Here's Dr. Lad's remedy for kapha headaches: Mix ½ teaspoon of ginger
powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of clove powder into a cup of
boiling water, steep for a few minutes, strain to remove the powder and
drink. Dr. Lad says you can also make a ginger paste by adding hot water
to 1 teaspoon of ginger powder, then apply it to the bridge of your nose
and over your cheekbones. He suggests putting it on when you have a headache
and leaving it on until your symptoms are relieved.
Finally, Dr. Lad suggests this kapha headache remedy: Mix one tablespoon
of warm water and at least 1/8 teaspoon of salt to make a thick solution,
draw the solution into an eyedropper and squeeze three to five drops into
each nostril. This will help unclog sinuses, he says. |
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Food Therapy
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Try having a cup of coffee, advises Fred Sheftell, M.D., co-founder and
co-director of the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Connecticut.
He says that caffeine constricts blood vessels and is an ingredient in many
pain relievers. In fact, studies show that having a cup of coffee or tea
can boost the pain-relieving powers of aspirin and other such products by
about one-third. |
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Herbal Therapy
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For a headache caused by stress, try a soothing cup of this tea recommended
by Mary Bove, L.M., N.D., a naturopathic physician and director of the Brattleboro
Naturopathic Clinic in Vermont: Blend one part each of the dried herbs wintergreen,
willowbark and meadowsweet (available in most health food stores). Pour
boiling water over a teaspoon of this blend, steep for ten minutes, strain,
let cool to a drinkable temperature and drink. |
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Homeopathy
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If you have an occasional mild headache, Andrew Lockie, M.D., recommends
the following remedies in his book The Family Guide to Homeopathy. He suggests
taking the remedy appropriate for your symptoms every 10 to 15 minutes for
up to ten doses.
If the headache comes on suddenly, feels like a tight band is wrapped around
your head and is worse in cold air and you feel apprehensive, Dr. Lockie
says to try a 30C dose of Aconite. Take a 30C dose of Apis, he says, if
your body feels bruised and tender and you have a stinging, stabbing or
burning headache that feels worse in hot air. If you have a flushed face,
dilated eyes and a throbbing headache that is worse in the hot sun, he recommends
a 30C dose of Belladonna. And for a headache that feels like a nail is being
driven into your skull, he says to take a 6C dose of ignatia.
All of these remedies are available in many health food stores. To purchase
the remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637. |
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Hydrotherapy
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Water treatments for headaches use a combination of heat and cold to draw
blood away from the affected area. Try soaking your feet and ankles in a
hot foot bath while applying an ice pack or a cold cloth to the forehead
and temples, says Tori Hudson, N.D., a naturopathic physician and professor
at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. When
you use an ice pack, many experts suggest wrapping it in a plastic bag and
placing it over a towel on the skin. Also, they advise limiting your cold
treatment to 20 minutes, since prolonged exposure could damage the skin.
This treatment is very effective for tension and sinus headaches and can
be used as needed, says Dr. Hudson. |
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Imagery
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Imagine that all of the muscles in your head and neck are like tightly
coiled springs. Now imagine that all of those springs begin to loosen. As
they do, the muscles become more relaxed, and your discomfort decreases,
says Dennis Gersten, M.D., a San Diego psychiatrist and publisher of Atlantis,
a bi-monthly imagery newsletter. He adds that if you do this for 30 seconds
every hour on the hour, it will dramatically relax you and ease your headache.
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Juice Therapy
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"The most common causes of headaches are constipation and liver malfunction,"
says Eve Campanelli, Ph.D., a holistic family practitioner in Beverly Hills,
California. For those prone to headaches, Dr. Campanelli recommends twice-daily
doses of apple-spinach juice for its gentle laxative qualities. "Mix
one ounce of spinach juice into eight ounces of apple juice, and you'll
never taste the spinach," she promises.
Once constipation has been cleared up, Dr. Campanelli advises getting the
liver moving with a blend of 8 ounces of carrot juice, 1 ounce of beet juice,
4 ounces of celery juice and ½ to 1 ounce of parsley juice. "Drinking
this juice once or twice a day helps the liver filter out toxins more effectively,
resulting in fewer headaches," explains Dr. Campanelli. See your doctor
if your headaches persist, she adds.
For information on juicing techniques, see page 93. |
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Massage
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Here's a fingertip massage from Elliot Greene, past president of the American
Massage Therapy Association, that should help ease the pain of tension headaches.
Start by placing your fingertips on your scalp, with your left hand on the
left side of your head and your right hand on the right side. Press down
gently, and move the scalp back and forth about a half-inch. "Your
fingers shouldn't slide across the skin," Greene says. "They should
be moving the scalp itself." After a few seconds, move your fingertips
farther back on the scalp and repeat. Do this until you have massaged the
entire scalp from front to back. Make sure to massage the sides of your
head above and around the ears.
Next, grasp a small amount of hair in one hand. Gently lift the hair away
from your scalp and twist it slightly. This will stimulate the scalp, Greene
says, and should help relieve tension. Repeat until you've covered the whole
scalp.
Now use your fingertips to massage your temples and forehead. Make small
circles as you massage. Do this for several minutes or until you feel the
headache subsiding. You can also rub the back of your neck, especially at
the base of the skull.
You can finish the massage with a shoulder rub. Use your right hand to grasp
the muscle on your left shoulder and squeeze lightly for several seconds.
Release and squeeze several times. Then switch sides, with your left hand
grasping your right shoulder. Greene says you should breathe deeply and
regularly during the entire massage, so you don't build up more tension.
In her book Self-Massage, Monika Struna recommends two other remedies for
headache: the headache massage (page 574) and the towel trick for headaches
(page 579). |
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Reflexology
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Reflexology's ability to relax the body makes it a perfect choice for
treating headaches, say Kevin and Barbara Kunz, reflexology researchers
in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and authors of Hand and Foot Reflexology. They
suggest using the corresponding golf ball technique (page 588) to work the
solar plexus, eye, ear and head points on your hands. They also say to work
the face points on your hands and the lower back points on your feet.
To help you locate these points, consult the hand and foot reflex charts
beginning on page 582. For instructions on how to work the points, see "Your
Reflexology Session" on page 110. |
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Relaxation and Meditation
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"We've had good success using stretch-based relaxation to help people
who have tension headaches," says Charles Carlson, Ph.D., professor
of psychology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. See page 602 for
one example of a stretch-based relaxation technique. Practice this sequence
of exercises whenever you begin to feel a headache coming on.
For some people, other relaxation techniques, including deep breathing,
meditation, autogenics, thermal biofeedback and progressive relaxation,
are also effective, according to Dr. Carlson. For brief descriptions of
each of these techniques, see page 113. |
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Yoga
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A yoga exercise called the neck roll (page 627) can help, say Dr. Robin
Monro, Dr. R. Nagarathna and Dr. H. R. Nagendra in their book Yoga for Common
Ailments. They recommend doing this exercise three times per day to relieve
headaches but caution not to do it if you have neck problems or neck pain.
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