Headaches or migraines can completely disrupt your life and can last for days, weeks, or even months. With mild or severe pains, headaches and migraines can decrease your workflow, mood, energy, and productivity. Natural headache relief remedies may be what you need to rid yourself of horrible headaches or migraines. At Matzinger Institute of Healing, we strive to revolutionize health care by focusing on the root cause of medical ailments. Headaches can be caused by a number of factors, so figuring out what is causing your headaches is the best way to treat them.
Natural Headache Relief Remedies
Hydrate
Our bodies need water, it is essential to replenish your body’s water by drinking more water. Drinks with electrolytes, like E-Lyte, help restore electrolytes to your body and improve your hydration. Herbal or ginger tea may be another great way to hydrate your body while providing additional benefits. For instance, ginger tea has been shown to reduce pain from migraines as well as related symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting.
Warm or Cold Compress
As with most pains you may experience from injury or otherwise, applying hot or cold agents can reduce headache pain as they affect blood flow to your brain. Cold agents include ice packs, bags of ice wrapped in a towel or cloth, or damp/cold washcloths. These cold agents can provide natural headache relief when applied to the head or neck areas. Heat agents include rice bags, heating pads, and heated towels. When applied, heat agents may provide relief for tension headaches. Taking a hot shower or bath may provide similar relief. It is important to only use warm and cold compresses for short periods for safe use standards.
Better Diet and Gut Health
If you are experiencing frequent headaches, it may be a sign of poor diet or gut health. Recurring migraines are often a symptom of underlying disorders, like gastrointestinal disorders. Creating and following a customized diet and supplement plan, like the ones Dr. Carolyn Matzinger at Matzinger Institute of Healing provides for her patients, might decrease headaches and migraine pains. Some studies show that supplements like Magnesium, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, and Omega-3 fatty acids all play a role in preventing and reducing headache pains.
Exercise
Maintaining a healthy habit of movement and exercise can greatly reduce your chances of headaches or migraines. However, high-intensity workouts aren’t recommended while you are experiencing a headache. Instead, opt for moderate or light-intensity exercises like walking or yoga. Moving your body increases endorphins in your brain and improves blood circulation.
Sleep
Too much or too little, sleep can be a huge factor in the headaches and migraines you may be experiencing. It is important to regulate your sleep by having a good schedule of when you wake up and when you go to sleep. Avoid screens before bedtime to help your mind and body fall asleep faster. Napping during the day can reduce or eliminate migraine headaches.
Massage
Massaging the muscles often helps relax them and reduce tension, which can help reduce headaches or migraines. Common areas to try massaging are between the eyebrows, both or either of the spots at the base of the eyebrows, and the bridge of the nose. Massaging the temples or near the base of the skull may also help release or reduce tension. Aromatouch massage and cupping techniques, like the ones performed by the massage therapists at Matzinger Institute of Healing, have been used for thousands of years in many parts of the world to reduce headaches, neck and back pain, and more.
Caffeine
For many, caffeine is a quick and easy fix to a headache. Some pain medications include caffeine because it relaxes the blood vessels. This may help ease tension as it supports circulation. However, it is important to limit the amount of caffeine you consume each day because too much could actually be causing your headaches as it raises your blood pressure.
Conclusion
Headaches can be debilitating, interrupting your life and disrupting your work and goals. But there are many natural headache relief remedies to combat these pains so you can get back to enjoying each day without the use of traditional medicine that may damage your liver over time. Consult with your doctor to determine which natural headache relief remedies will work best for you, and if you are in the Las Vegas area, consider making an appointment with Dr. Carolyn Matzinger. Your appointment with MIH may be your first step to becoming headache free.