Some of you know that I struggle with almost daily headaches. It makes life difficult to say the least. I have found several headache remedies but the best solutions for me are still heat and pressure.
For pressure, I simply put a tight headband around my forehead – obviously not something you can do in public, so I save it for the home-bound headaches that usually also involve a nap. You’ll look silly in front of your family or roommates, but when you have a serious headache, you just don’t care. You can use any headband from the dollar store (or try a children’s headband if you want it a little tighter). You can also find headbands that are made for headaches – some of them can even be heated or cooled. I found one at a discount store once, but the terrycloth headband that came with my Eclos Skincare travel set actually works better.
For heat, hot baths with a little lavender essential oil are the best. And, you can obviously try a heating pad, but be careful. Don’t use it for extended periods of time and don’t use it every day. My mom did that and ended up with brown burn marks all over her back. After a quick internet search, she learned that the marks are fairly common for people who overuse heating pads and other heating devices. Luckily they went away after a while, but now she’s a lot more careful!
Thermal-Aid sent me a couple of their heating/cooling products to try. They are 100% natural, corn-filled and washable. Heating and cooling packs by Thermal-Aid were developed by Bio-Engineers and Doctors that worked closely with milling experts using a unique patented process, which removes the embryo/germ tip cap and outer coat from each kernel of corn. This leaves the purest and cleanest portion of the corn product. This process hardens the specialized de-germinated corn, allowing it to hold temperatures evenly for long periods of time. It also eliminates mold, fungi and foul odors often associated with natural heating/cooling products. This means you can wash them with soap and water and they won’t get stinky or moldy.
I tried the Small Sectional and the adorable Kids’ Bear. The sectional is great and believe it or not I’m actually using it while I type this! You can roll it up so it fits under your neck, stretch it out under your shoulders and back or wrap it around an area that you want to heat. You just put it in the microwave to heat it (or the freezer to cool it). The only thing weird about it is that it smells like corn when you heat it up. But, it holds the heat for a long time so that doesn’t bother me. The bear is made from the same material, but in teddy bear form! Great for kids.
You can can also use these for pets with arthritis and other conditions. I would have to watch my puppy, Riley, with it though – I know he’d try to eat it! For older pets who don’t chew up everything in site, I would recommend the larger sectional – you could even put it in a pillowcase or under their pet blanket to warm them up on a cold evening.
Jen
oh my word, I need this. My dr gave me a new pill that you can take “only twice a week”. How is that going to help my daily migraine in the morning?
I’m glad that you’ve found things to give you some relief. x
Thanks Jen, I just entered. I have a condition called trigeminal neuralgia which causes horrible pain in my face and head these packs look awesome however I cannot put on a tight headband somedays it kills just to brush and floss =( Good luck with your headaches I also sometimes put peppermint oil on my temples and that helps (if you haven’t already tried that)
Oh wow – Jennifer – that sounds awful! Is there any cure?