Headaches are a common problem that keeps many from living the vibrant life they are meant to live. They come on in various ways, for multiple reasons, and at all times of the day, month, and year. While there are medical definitions for the different kinds of headaches, like migraine, cluster, tension, etc., a more straightforward way to resolve headaches is to determine where the pain is in the head. Simple solutions then follow.
Headache sufferers are told they have migraines, cluster headaches, tension headaches, or any number of other headache types. They are then prescribed medication to help relieve the pain, like Imitrex for migraines. The problem is that using headache name definitions to base treatment can become a losing proposition. Why?
Because most people get more than one kind of headache, it is not uncommon for people who suffer from stress headaches or sinus headaches to also experience migraine headaches or sleep-deprivation headaches. So just because one might suffer from “migraines,” that does not mean the headache they get on a given day is a migraine.
What’s more, did you know that many over-the-counter medicines marketed as “migraine relief” and “tension headache relief” actually contain the same ingredients? They are the same product being marketed and sold for different definitions of headache.
Headache Location
Rather than taking the wrong medication for a specific type of headache while you are experiencing a different kind, I’d like you to consider merely identifying the location on your head where the headache first began. Because pain travels, focusing on the pain’s origin and catching the headache at the first sign of discomfort is essential.
Headaches originating at the: VERTEX – THE TOP OF THE HEAD
When you feel a headache originate at the top of your head, it is most likely due to excessive toxins in the body and stressed liver function.
What to do:
- Drink two 8-ounce glasses of cool, purified water.
- Sit in a quiet space and engage in calm, deep breathing for five to 10 minutes.
- Press for 30 seconds on acupuncture points “LV 2” and “LV 3” (easily found with an online search).
- Avoid all dairy, spicy, and nitrate-heavy foods.
When you feel a headache originate on your face or forehead, it is generally caused by inflammation of the sinuses.
What to do:
- Drink strong ginger tea with no milk or sugar. Either cut up fresh ginger, boil it in water, or buy ginger green or ginger white tea. Do not drink black or red tea.
- When eating on this day, add some ginger, scallion, and cayenne pepper to your dishes, as these promote sweating without causing further inflammation.
- Press for 30 seconds on acupuncture points “Stomach 43” and “Stomach 44.”
- Avoid all dairy products, fats, and oils on this day and the next.
- If your environment is damp or musty, use a dehumidifier and turn the heat on to dry it out.
Headaches located at the: Occiput – Headaches originating at the back of the head are generally caused by muscle contraction or trigeminal nerve irritation. They can be triggered by stress, improper posture, excessive exercise, and toxins affecting the kidneys, bladder, and liver function.
What to do:
- Drink two 8-ounce glasses of cool, purified water.
- At the onset of tightness or pain in the shoulders, neck, or base of the skull, take a break from what you are doing and do some shoulder shrugs and neck stretching exercises.
- Press for 30 seconds on acupuncture points “UB 65” and “UB 66.”
- Correct and maintain proper seated and sleeping posture to prevent spinal misalignment and muscle spasm trigger points.
- Reduce daily stress by doing slow and steady breathing exercises before drifting off to sleep and as often as needed to reduce stress by balancing respiration.
After prevention, the next most important thing in headache treatment is catching the headache at its first sign. Medicine usually treats the symptoms and not the cause. Too many meds can cause liver and kidney damage and irritable bowel issues.
If none of the above self-help methods nip it in the bud, try your local Chiropractor.
It’s important to take headaches seriously. Seek prompt attention if your headache is sudden and severe, follows a head injury, or is accompanied by fever, stiff neck, weakness, numbness, or difficulty speaking.
Call Doctor’s Nutrition at 1-800-824-0194 and inquire about your options for handling headaches with various nutritional supplements.
