There is no nice way to speak about headaches. These extremely common afflictions hit about 90% of the population. Fortunately, the big daddy of headaches, the migraine, only affects about 18% of women and 6% of men. For most people a popping of a couple of pain killers is all it takes to move on with their day, but for some, especially those who experience regular headaches, other alternatives may be just as effective.
Complementary alternative medicine, commonly referred to as CAM therapies, are gaining acceptance even in the highest echelons of the traditional community. While there are numerous claims made by unreliable sources, some CAM options are valid, well tested and effective. To evaluate their effectiveness for your headaches, you will need to try them out. Here is a small list of available options.
Acupuncture
Acupuncturists use very fine needles in this ancient practice to create a physical reaction that helps reduce pain. The insertion of the needles causes the body to release natural pain fighting chemicals. Needles are often connected to units that send small electrical currents down into the body. For obvious reasons a double-blind study can't be carried out with acupuncture, but the National Institutes of Health has recently endorsed acupuncture for pain management. Acupuncture is a long term therapy requiring weekly visits over a period of a few months.
Bio-Feedback
Also called mind-body therapy, this CAM is based upon the principle of training the individual to relax specific muscles when needed. Since most headaches are the result of tension, being able to relax the tensed muscle has clear benefits. This is another practice that is difficult to study clinically, but reports are overwhelmingly positive. The catch is that you have to be able to elicit your own relaxation response regardless of circumstances for it to be consistently effective. Children do very well with bio-feedback techniques, adults take longer to learn the process and need more practice to be effective.
Massage
Massage is the practice of releasing tension and stress through the manual manipulation of muscles. If your headaches stem from tight muscles in your head, neck and shoulders, massage can be very effective in treating an active headache. Unfortunately, since you can't take a massage therapist with you everywhere, professional massage is only a stop gap measure. Self massage can help as well if applied properly.
Herbal Supplements and Nutrition
For chronic headache sufferers, keeping a headache diary that tracks your food intake, daily activities and the frequency of headaches can help pinpoint triggers. That will allow you to make dietary changes that will reduce your headaches. Some herbal treatments, such as feverfew, butterbur and magnesium have shown moderate effects as well. Since many supplemental headache treatments contain large amounts of caffeine, a substance that has been shown to help with migraines, they should be used cautiously. Caffeine is one of the substances most likely to cause rebound headaches. If you use any herbal supplements in treating your headaches, consult with your doctor to make sure they are safe for you.
Complementary medical practices are gaining acceptance at a rapid rate. They are worth considering as part of your headache battling arsenal. Still, it pays to remember that anything that sounds too good to be true, probably is. Try these new therapies carefully and always with the supervision of your primary care provider.
Author Resource:-
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