How to Fight Headaches Without Drugs or Medicine

The most common type of headache is a tension headache, involving pain in the head or neck. It is often associated with muscle tightness. If the headache occurs a few times a week for several months, it is consider a chronic condition. There are a variety of causes, including stress, depression, and holding the head in one position for a long time. Eye strain, caffeine and alcohol use, fatigue and nasal congestion are other contributing factors. Headaches are often fought by the use of over-the-counter painkillers, but there are many other remedies that do not involves drugs or medicine.

Things You'll Need

• Ice pack
• Heating pad or compress
• Someone to massage you
• Acupuncturist
• Headache diary

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Instructions

• 1

  Manage your stress. Stress is a common cause for tension headaches, so it is important to try to reduce your stress level as much as possible. Try planning and organizing your day ahead of time, so as not to get bogged down by too many things going on at once. Allow yourself time to relax. Use relaxation techniques such as meditation or breathing exercises to cope with stressful situations.

• 2

  Relieve muscle tension. Apply heat or ice packs to your sore muscles to help fight the headache. Try using a heating pad, compress, or hot shower for heat, or an ice pack wrapped in a towel for cold.

• 3

  Use massage to alleviate headache pain. Have someone gently massage your head, neck and shoulder muscles. Massage can be a great stress-reliever and it can help loosen tight muscles.

• 4

  Fix your posture. When you have good posture, you put less strain on your muscles and tendons, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. Pull your shoulders back and hold your head up high. Tuck in your chin. When you are sitting, make sure your head does not fall forward.

• 5

  Make some lifestyle changes if needed. Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep as well as regular exercise, the National Institutes of Health suggests. Stretch your neck and back muscles often. Also, it may be necessary to change your job or leisure activities if they are contributing to your headaches.

• 6

  Try acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is a method of alternative medicine that uses very thin, metallic needles inserted into specific points on your body. It can help provide relief from headache pain.