I have had headaches almost every day for the past 3 or so years. Usually they are alleviated with Advil or a nap, but sometimes no medicine will help. I’ve been to numerous doctors and tried prescription meds, going off caffeine, going off wheat, had blood tests, etc. The past 3 days have been really bad – with migraines keeping me from getting any work done. I had an emergency chiropractor visit and massage today and I feel much better!
I have found some ways to cope and I believe I’m on the path to getting better. I wanted to share some of my natural headache remedies with you.
Chiropractic Care – I have an amazing chiropractor or “wizard” as I call him. His name is Dr. Chett Mallett and he works for Body Structure, a chiropractic clinic that also offers massage therapy and acupuncture. Dr. Chett has helped me so much. His adjustments are quick and they alleviate the pain for days and sometimes weeks. The problem is, I haven’t been doing the exercises he advises (and the yoga my mom advises!), and my posture at the computer keeps moving things back again. I’m at the computer day in and day out since my job mandates it.
Dr. Chett thinks things are going in the right direction though – his adjustments along with ultrasound therapy on my trigger points is the only thing that has given me huge relief so far. He’s also very knowledgeable about health and nutrition, so he gives me great advice in exchange for my skincare advice (don’t tell him I told you!). Body Structure’s prices are VERY reasonable and if you live in the LA/Hollywood area, I can’t recommend him enough.
Acupuncture – I tried acupuncture for the first time about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Tamara ZumMallen, L.Ac. of Healing Hands Wellness Center (in Larchmont Village – Los Angeles, CA) invited me in for a treatment. Tamara studied acupuncture at Dongguk Royal University where she graduated magna cum laude with a Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She also has some amazing before and after pictures from her cosmetic acupuncture patients. Her results are comparable to Botox! Check out the pics here.
I had never had acupuncture before, so I really didn’t know what to expect. She had me fill out a form with basic questions about my health and then asked me some questions. Her manner was soothing and gentle. She then had me lie down and she inserted about 3 or 4 tiny needles into each of my feet, one in each arm and a couple in each ear. A couple of them hurt a little bit (in the ears mostly) – but it was more like an annoyance than an actual pain – very tolerable. She left me alone to relax for 20 minutes and she came and checked on me halfway through. Did I feel any different after the procedure? Not really. But, acupuncture takes several treatments to work, so I expected that. After the session, Tamara emailed me foods/drinks to avoid and some to seek out. I am actually going to see her again tomorrow, so I’ll let you know how it goes!
Update: I went in for my second session today and this time Tamara worked on my back. I’ll let you know how it progresses. In the meantime, if you’d like to try acupuncture for headaches, cosmetic purposes, or for any other ailments, Tamara has graciously offered a $25 discount off your first session (normally $125 for the first session and $80 thereafter). This offer expires March 31, 2012. Also – her 15 minute consultations are always free! Contact Healing Hands Wellness Center to make an appointment.
Massage – My emergency massage today was also at Healing Hands Wellness Center in Larchmont Village. The massage therapist, Kathy, did a great job. And their prices are great ($55 for one hour)! I’ve been to several places for massages and I can’t say I’ve found one that I recommend over all others, but for me the price is definitely right at Healing Hands. Massage generally seems so extravagant, but when I realized that it is therapeutic, and important for me to keep working away at my job, I decided to do it more often.
Hot Baths – Hot baths with epsom salts can really help relax my tense back and neck muscles and make me feel like a new person. I’ve been using Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts and I really like the Eucalyptus scent and relaxing epsom salt action! The lavender sounds great too – I’ll try that one next time. You can buy them at most drugstores in the US and Canada. If I want an even more powerful eucalyptus scent, I’ll add a few drops of pure eucalyptus oil to my bath too.
Aromatherapy – You’ve probably seen my reviews of LATHER before – I’m a big fan. The founder is a fellow headache-sufferer (not exactly a club anyone would choose to be in, but hey…). Her new Clear Head Balancing Balm is an all-natural, essential oil balm that you can apply to your temples, chest, behind your ears, etc. Therapeutic oils of lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus and mandarin promote a sense of balance and well-being. It’s not a muscle rub, so I find it works best to put a dab under your nose or just deeply inhale from the jar. And a bonus – LATHER will donate $1 from each sale to benefit the National Headache Foundation for headache awareness, education and outreach.
Calming Scents – I just picked this up today during my massage appointment and already I love it. As soon as I walked in, I asked what smelled so good and I had to buy it. It’s an aromatherapy diffuser from Aromaland. You add a little bit of distilled water to the shallow bowl at the top along with 10-15 drops of lavender oil (or other essential oils) and light a tealight candle in the interior. The scent really carries and is relaxing and calming. Now if I could just do something about my dog barking…
I would really appreciate any feedback you have. Leave me comments with things you have tried that have worked (or not). I’ll try almost anything!
Jen
Aromatherapy and massage, even of just my neck, shoulders and head do wonders for my stress and sinus headaches. I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders and neck, so I get headaches pretty often.
Yikes, sorry to hear you have such bad chronic headaches! I'm glad the chiropractor worked for you. What are the exercises that your doctor and mom recommend? I'd love to know. I slouch at a computer all day at work and at home too.
My recent post A monthly eco-friendly product subscription service from Jessica Alba
Yikes, sorry to hear you have such bad chronic headaches! I'm glad the chiropractor worked for you. What are the exercises that your doctor and mom recommend? I'd love to know. I slouch at a computer all day at work and at home too.
My recent post A monthly eco-friendly product subscription service from Jessica Alba
lavender oil is the best remedy for a headache! apparently peppermint works well too!
Oh hon *Tender hugs* I am in the club, unfortunately (my official nickname is the Headacheslayer tho I'm not very good at it).
7 yrs ago, after riding a roller coaster twice (nothing malfunctioned) I lost half the vision in both eyes. Like ZERO vision as though someone were covering half of each eye. My vision resumed in an hour and I assumed (correctly) that I'd had my first optic migraine (which doesn't always involve pain). A week later, and I developed THE HEADACHE which morphed into Chronic Daily Headache and added Complex Migraine Disease for company. So yes, I have a headache and/or migraine every day for the past 7 yrs. Almost. But I probably can count the number of days I've not had a headache on 2 hands.
I have done it all. My doc is an osteopath. That made it worse. I went to PT. Worse. Acupuncture/auricular therapy–no effect (and I truly believe in acupuncture as it healed my severe tendonitis when I was in college). I'm on my 3rd neurologist. I've "failed" every migraine drug out there so one of my last shots is botox injections–then I'll be looking at surgery to decompress the nerves in my forehead/occipital region.
First, let me share my "headache/chronic babe" blog with you–lots of ways I deal with it:
headacheslayer.blogspot.com
second, here's my email–please feel free to email me ANYTIME (I know what it's like to have a headache and kids):
headacheslayer@gmail.com
I am on a lot of pain meds (not just for the head pain). But for natural stuff, I use ice packs (3 at a time, keep a spare set in the freezer), an herbal heat pack (look for one that has 12+ herbs, works AWESOME for helping me sleep when I'm in pain. I have a home-use massage/nerve stimulator (drawing a blank on the name) as that helps with tension in my shoulders/neck.
Aromatherapy is AWESOME (and I've bookmarked the Lather). I use The Body Shop sleep line, Head On (yes that stuff lol), Origins Peace of Mind, Icy Hot (if my neck is real bad).
Be *very* careful about OTC medication use–it can cause rebound headaches. Some people have to be careful w/ caffeine (raising hand), others it helps.
I also have to be careful what kind of pillow I use, sitting in the car for long trips, even singing (which stinks).
I am glad you have your "dream team" of people that help you! Two books I recommend are:
All in my Head by Paula Kamen
The Pain Chronicles by Melanie Thernstrom
They both helped me in SO many ways–to understand what worked for them, what didn't, and also very supportive emotionally.
I truly hope you find an end to your pain so we can kick you out of the club 😉 Until then, if you hang out on Twitter, add #spoonies #headache #migraine, to a vent and you'll find one of us.
*MORE HUGS*
xoxo
My recent post Prizes! Pinks! Precioussss…….*Update*
Just this morning the office of a neuro who specializes in headaches called me with a referral from my family doc! I have been to them all–even Cleveland Clinic–and nothing has helped my 3 year old headache! Mine is also in my neck. I've been "diagnosed" with chronic migraines, herniated discs in my neck, and occipital neuralgia. I don't know for sure what it is or if it's a combination of all 3! The doc that called me this morning said I'd have to go off of my valium, which is the ONLY medicine that helps me sleep and no sleep makes my headaches unbearable. I go to a pain clinic and all they do is give me pain medicine. We tried trigger point injections and steroid injection that then caused my adrenal glands to shut down causing addison's disease which took a year or more to clear up! So, I, too, have been through it ALL too. The one thing I read above that pertains to me that does help some is my pillow! I swear, it's a slightly contoured pillow (not very expensive as I got it at Wal-Mart!) but if I even lay down on the sofa without it I have neck and head pain that is unbearable. I have tried a chiropractor, acupuncture, PT, massage, med on top of meds, the trigger point injections, the steroid injection, and I can't remember what it's called but Cleveland Clinic took a needle with anesthesia and actually put it in my scalp! It hurt and didn't help! My insurance won't cover botox, but I'm going to talk about the new doc about it again. The neck has to be connected somehow. I saw a neurosurgeon who only said, "there's nothing I can do to help you." I cried! The massage feels good while I'm getting it done, but hurts SO bad the next few days. So, I don't have any advice, just that you aren't alone. Here's to hoping we all find a cure–and SOON!!!
i love this post. looking good has everything to do with feeling good. i have chronic headaches which eventually make me nauseous. then, of course, i am exhausted. i can't afford most treatments, but i may very well try the lather product. i wish i had an answer for you.
thanks for the post i've been having migraine headaches since i was 10 years old now im 24 and they seem to keep getting worse! im going to try these things and hopefully they work for me thank you
I love this post – so comprehensive and well-written – though I'm sorry you are going through such a hard time. Thanks for sharing your experiences – good and bad! Hope you get some relief soon. x-Lori
These are good suggestions, but wouldn't it be better to try to find the underlying cause? Have you considered that your headaches could be environmental or diet-related? I noticed that My Beauty Bunny endorses many products containing chemicals that are hazardous to humans (see http://www.ewg.org/skindeep for more info). Even the listing of "Fragrance" as an ingredient is an 8 on EWG's hazard scale. Granted, cruelty-free is MBB's mission, but it's something to think about. Also, many people have food allergies and don't realize it. That could be a culprit.
Oh No!! I hope you find some relief soon. I suffer from terrible allergies so know what it feels like to suffer and not feel 100% most days. 🙁 I'll be on the lookout for any remedies and will be sure to share if I hear of anything good.
xoxo
My recent post Not Your Mother’s Giveaway!~
I get headaches a lot too, but caffeine usually does the trick for me. I'd love to try acupuncture.
My recent post Pike Place K-Cups by Starbucks
I have horrible headaches before it rains or when the weather changes which happens frequently in the foothills of NC (where I live). I am 46 and they are getting worse with age. I am nauseous and often throw up when I have them . Usually, I wake up with these headaches. Does anyone have a clue what I can do to ease my pain from this barometric pressure headache? Ibuprofen doesn't help.
Thanks for the comment Liz – as I mentioned, I have tried many different lifestyle changes – wheat free, dairy free, caffeine free, soda free, tea free, you name it. I’ve pretty much determined that my tight head and neck muscles are causing the problem. But, I haven’t found out how to keep them loose and still be on the computer all day. 🙁
It's hard to explain in writing – but standing in a doorway pressing both arms against the sides of the door while lunging forward is one stretch. Also – just stretching your neck gently in each direction while pulling with the opposite hand. And laying down on a folded up towel (under your neck) for 10 minutes. And my mom said the shoulder stands and the "rabbit" (appropriate!) would help.
Thank you so much for your tips! I remember you telling me about the roller coaster incident. That is just crazy. That's ONE reason why I've never done any skydiving or bungee jumping – I've thought about it, but I'm scared something weird would happen to my sinuses or head. I am bookmarking your blog now! At least I know I'm not alone. 🙂 Now I'm off to find my Icy Hot…
Wow – your story sounds a lot like my mom's – she's had all kinds of neck, back and arm pains from years of work as a graphic designer. She hasn't found the magic cure yet either, but she's tried a lot of the things you've mentioned. One thing to note – be careful of heating pads – if you leave them on too long – and daily – you can develop brown burn marks on your skin! It happened to my mom and luckily it's going away now. The same thing can happen with a laptop. Hugs to you! If you find anything that works, please email me!
I had the same Migraines for years and I take
everyday a vitamin named Magnesum and that
stoped my problem!!! I know everyone it’s going
to give you tons of remedies! But this was a cure
for me!!
That's truly awful about the past three days–in addition to the past three years. (Hugs!!) I'm glad that you've found some things to help you some; and from all the comments above me, it seems like you're getting loads of advice. I've never tried acupuncture, but the before and after pictures are amazing! I will tweet out your post, and I'm sure that you will continue to get your fans to help you. Take care! xx
Thanks girl! 🙂
You, darling, are a talented writer and a passionate informant. I so enjoy this site. Keep up the good work.
My recent post Cosmetic Acupuncture for Beautiful Eyes
Heh, what a hilarious pic!
My recent post Skin Cancer: Get Checked Before Summer
Awww thanks so much! 🙂
I have always had problems with headaches, but this past August I had one so bad I had to go to the ER. Since then I have been to the neurologist and have had several tests. I have also had some more migraine headaches that have sidelined me. I think the biggest thing that has helped has to stop taking pain medication unless absolutely necessary. I was getting rebound headaches from taking pain medication all the time. It was definitely difficult the first few weeks.
My recent post Layering experiment time! I wanted to continue with the…
Wow – that is so scary! I have been wondering if I've been getting rebound headaches so I've tried to cut back on the Advil. It's hard! I'm finding that a heating pad and a fabric headband around my eyes really helps.
Who has never experienced headache? Headaches are inevitable and definitely one of the most stressful pain anyone can feel.
i just read this article that says quinoa helps headaches because of the riboflavin and magnesium.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-reasons-to-lo…
Oh really? I will have to start eating quinoa!
thanks for the pointer
Yeahhh I Agreed with you …. These massage could be alternative theraphy for headaches! Cause I experienced it before! After massaged, my head became very light. Just like feel brand new! 🙂
Thanks chiefbunny, nice post!
Me too always suffer from headaches. Thanks for these information. It’s a great help for me.
These are great tips I will definitely need to try these and see if they help! Headaches are so bothersome because of not only the pain but the lack of production in result of them as well. St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute helped me out tremendously! Thanks for sharing these!
These are great tips I will definitely need to try these and see if they help! Headaches are so bothersome because of not only the pain but the lack of production in result of them as well. St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute helped me out tremendously! Thanks for sharing these!