Alternative Severe Headache Treatments

Aromatherapy is found to be quite effective in treating headache. It believes that certain oils and their fragrances have the desired calming effect on the body, thus curing headache. They are known to relieve emotional stress, tension and consequently headaches. The oils seep deep into the nervous system and ease the pain. In fact, they can also be used as a preventive measure.

Since there are certain essential guidelines to be followed while mixing these concoctions, it is essential to take the supervision of a certified aroma therapist. The ingredients and their quantities have to be in the right proportion, if you want to these concoctions to benefit you in any way.

Aromatherapy claims to cure headaches related to negative emotions and muscular and nervous tensions. Lavender, Roman chamomile, sweet marjoram, peppermint, rosemary and eucalyptus are the oils generally used in preparing treatment oils for headache relief. And inhalation, application, bath and massage are some of the techniques adopted to use or apply these oils.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese form of treatment working on the Taoist philosophy. It involves the use of needles to cure many disorders. It does not use any drugs to treat any pain related disorders.

Although acupuncture lacks scientific validity, yet it has been found to be effective in providing headache relief. It is believed that the body has a number of meridians, applying pressure on which, literally dissolves the pain.

It is also believed that acupuncture works because it leads to the release of certain neurotransmitters in the body. One such neurotransmitter is endorphins, the release of which, cures the pain. It also incorporates a variety of movements, techniques and applications, one of the most common one being moxibustion.

Hot and cold packs
Heat and cold may be used to provide relief to a headache sufferer. Some patients may prefer heat treatment while others may prefer ice packs. It is usually seen that migraine sufferers prefer cold packs whereas, those who have tension-type or muscle contraction headaches prefer cold packs. Packs or showers, both have the same effect.

As in the case of high fevers, cold packs can be applied to the forehead and the temples whereas hot packs can be applied to the neck and the posterior parts of the head. One has to be extremely careful while using hot packs as these might cause muscle spasms or even burning if, they are too hot.

Both these treatments are quite safe and can be used in addition to other normal medications.

Alternative Remedies
Apart from the galaxy of over the counter products, which claim to be panacea for your headache, there are some tried and tested herbal remedies which will help you without fault.

1. For fast headache relief, Chinese pressure points can be used. But identification of those pressure points is of utmost important. This help should be sought from the experts in this art only.

2. You can also make use of the analgesic and cooling properties of betel leaf. For this, apply it over the pain affected area and get the sought after relief from the intense headache.

3. Instead you can also use some common household remedies for headache relief. Apply the paste of clove and salt crystals made in milk. Salt which is a hygroscopic agent absorbs the fluid and decreases all your tension and headache.

4. For headache that is caused by the heat of the sun, use henna flowers. Make a plaster of henna flowers mixed in vinegar and apply it over the forehead to get the relief.

Chiropractice
Muscle pain, due to poor posture, is also a common cause of headache. Chiropractice may help you reduce your headaches if you do the job of sitting at a particular place for long periods, like work at a computer or perform repetitive motions.

Hypnosis
There is nothing to be alarmed about hypnosis headache treatment. There are likely to be no side effects, in this therapy. But success depends to a large extent on the responsiveness of an individual. Many compare hypnosis with relaxation therapy.

Chiropractic:
Chiropractic is the most famous alternative therapy. This therapy is used to treat post-traumatic, tension-type, and sometimes migraine headaches. It believes that headaches are caused due to abnormal motion and irritation in the neck muscles, nerves and other tissues. It works towards alleviating the pain with the help of manipulation, exercise and forms of physical therapy.

Biofeedback:
Biofeedback can help reduce some types of headache pain, other than migraine. A biofeedback incorporates a range of relaxation therapies, like breathing exercises, meditation and guided imagery. These can help you control your body's response to stress.

Meditation:
Meditation is used to treat all those headaches that are caused due to tension and stress. More and more people are turning to meditation to relieve the day's tension and relieve themselves of headaches resulting due to these tensions. Deep breathing exercises, which relieve tension, form an essential part of the meditation technique.