Educate yourself about alternative medical treatments available for specific diseases and conditions. This site is presented to help you research alternative medical treatments, natural and herbal remedies and different ways of thinking about how to solve specific medical problems.  Please read our disclaimer.

Alternative Treatments for Headaches and Migraines

Alternative treatments for headaches and migraines have been used by people in other cultures for many years.  Some treatments are very effective for some people.  Others may only work because the patient believes they will work, much like the way placebos sometimes work in medical experiments.  However, we believe that the more you know about the options, the more you will be able to make intelligent, informed decisions about the medical treatment, which may be right for you and your particular medical conditions.  Please read our disclaimer.

About Headaches and Migraines

Headaches are undoubtedly one of the most common conditions experienced by people around the world. Headaches generally constitute a pain in the head and generally last for a few hours. Migraines in contrast are rarer, throb and are experienced on one side of the head and can, but don’t necessarily, last for a few days. The cause of headaches is often fleeting and not a cause for concern. However, there are certain serious conditions that can cause headaches. Therefore if headaches begin to occur with a greater frequency with no obvious cause it is best to investigate the source.

Warning signs include headaches accompanied by stiff necks, nausea, fainting and fevers or following a head injury. Migraines in general are conditions within themselves and the exact cause is still unknown. Changes in migraine symptoms are cause for investigation. As headaches undoubtedly are one of the most common conditions for people around the world, there are numerous home remedies to combat its symptoms. Thankfully, as treatments for migraines and headaches are often similar, the remedies are oftentimes applicable to both conditions.

• Record the events, food, drinks and activities prior to your development of a head pain. This habit can help to identify triggers for headaches and migraines that are often known to exist within our natural environment. Well-known causes of headaches include loud music or sounds, depression, stress and eye strain. Migraines can have even more specific triggers, such as specific foods, smoke, alcohol and even a lack of food.
   
• Avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer, in high doses. Studies suggest that MSG is linked to headaches. Thankfully, many restaurants have eliminated MSG from their recipes already.
   
• Try to stay hydrated. Dehydration is a common cause of headaches. Many people use the conventional approach of drinking eight eight-ounce glasses of fluids a day. However, this approach understandably needs to be adjusted if activities that lose a lot of fluids, like exercises, are incorporated into daily routines.
   
• Stay away from bright lights. Bright lights are known to both cause and exaggerate headaches and migraines. Therefore, it is often best to take a short a break, and avoid sunlight and bright conventional lighting for some time.
   
• Avoid excessive caffeine consumption. While caffeine does have health benefits, too much caffeine can be a cause of headaches. Caffeine is a stimulant and can increase tension an anxiety, thus contributing directly to headaches. Further, many over-the-counter pain killers and cold remedies contain caffeine. Therefore, if you have found yourself to be especially sensitive to caffeine, it is important to take note of this fact.
   
• If you are hoping to lower your caffeine intake, do so gradually. For regular coffee-drinkers, or those who always ingest a high amount of caffeine, a lack of caffeine can lead to withdrawal as well, which produces headaches. Therefore it is often best to not become dependent on the stimulant. And if you are hoping to cut your caffeine intake, it is best to do so by eliminating about 50 mg a week, about a half-a-cup of coffee.
   
• Avoid overmedicating yourself. Emerging studies are showing that regularly taking medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol and codeine heighten the experience of pain by dampening the body’s own ability to regulate pain.
   
• Avoid holding your head at a downward angle for a prolonged time, as this may trigger headaches and migraines.
   
• Maintain a steady, adequate and not excessive sleeping schedule. If you fall asleep and awake at roughly the same time each day, your body adjusts accordingly and maintains an inner balance that helps to mediate the causes of painful headaches. Further, getting enough sleep helps in avoiding headaches, but sleeping too much can have you awaking with a headache.
   
• Use heat or cold therapy, whichever works for you. Placing a cold or heated compress on the forehead or over the eyes is often effective in relieving head pain.
  

Have questions about Alternative Treatments?

We recommend that you review the information about physical therapy on this website, look at the alternative medical treatments on the appropriate websites, do your own independent research, talk with your doctor or other medical professional and learn as much as you can before making the decision that is right for you.  We are not qualified to answer medical, behavioral or health related questions, so please do not ask.