Approximately 45 million people each year complain about headaches for which they take over-the-counter pain medication. Over the counter medications may help alleviate symptoms of headache, but they do not address underlying causes.
Too much reliance on medication can also actually cause headaches or other more serious problems that require additional treatment. Regular headache sufferers are turning to natural headache treatments as a safer and sometimes more effective option for eliminating headaches.
Natural headache treatments are usually safer than relying on over the counter medications. In many cases, you can combine more than one natural treatment and increase the benefits.
Self Treatments
Some simple self-treatment options include:
- Slow, gentle neck roll exercises
- Hot showers
- Lie on back with no pillow
Acupuncture
This headache treatment has worked for several thousand years. Acupuncture points for headache treatment are located all over the body. During treatment, the needles are placed in the following areas:
- Legs
- Arms
- Shoulders
- Great toe
Treatments times vary between five and 30 minutes, depending on your specific needs and the intensity of your headaches. Some patients get relief after just one session, but some require three or more treatments.
Chiropractic and/or Osteopathic Treatment
The nerves that feed your head and face travel through the cervical spine. If your spine gets out of joint, called subluxation, pain in your neck and even headaches may occur. Getting an adjustment by a chiropractor is a good way to get you neck back into proper alignment and reduce pain.
The neuromuscular dentist and chiropractor and/or osteopath must work closely when treating patients simultaneously. Ideally, the patient should have their orthotic adjustments after their spinal correction not before.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback training allows you to sub-consciously take control of your body processes that typically fall under autonomic control. This takes time to learn and develop, but once you understand how it works, you can effect changes in your body that can speed up recovery from headaches and associated ailments.
Some neuromuscular dentists use their EMG equipment to help teach biofeedback techniques.
Aromatherapy
Some people receive benefit from sniffing certain types of scented oils. The olfactory system is closely tied to the other nerves of your head that are associated with various types of headache. These soothing aromas can help treat headaches, including migraines. Some common oils used are:
- Peppermint
- Marjoram
- Lavender
These oils can also be applied to the head and neck for a soothing, aromatic massage.
Nutritional Treatments
The foods we eat play a greater part on our bodies systems then they are given credit for. Some foods, especially those laced with preservatives and other manmade chemicals can actually lead to ailments like headaches. Eating a more natural diet will help retrain your body to heal itself.
Along with a proper diet of natural foods, some food supplements can help relieve the symptoms of a headache naturally. The following is a list of natural nutritional treatments that work on headaches:
- Lemon
- Apple
- Henna
- Marjoram
- Rosemary
- Cinnamon
Most people agree, taking any sort of medication for months and years at a time will actually do more harm to your body than good. With a little bit of investigation and research, you can find alternatives to these unnatural treatment methods and establish a regimen of natural headache treatments to take their place.
Contact the elite neuromuscular dentist at Think Better Life, Dr. Ira L, Shapira, for information on natural how we can help alleviate your symptoms of headaches and migraines. Call 1-847-533-8313 today.
