Heading Off the Hurt - taking care of headaches

Better Nutrition, May, 2001 by Liz Brown

* Aromatherapy sometimes helps alleviate milder headaches, including the usual tension headache. One drop of peppermint, lavender, chamomile or eucalyptus oil can be diluted in a teaspoon of almond oil and then rubbed into the skin at the temples, neck or shoulder muscles and/or inhaled. Four to seven drops of essential oil added to a bath is also therapeutic for some.

* Manipulative procedures including osteopathy, chiropractic, physical therapy and myofascial therapy require the expertise of a skilled practitioner to move joints or muscles. The goal is to relieve muscle tension and to promote normal joint mechanics, mobilize fluids in the soft tissue and to promote normal neural function and movement.

* Biofeedback has a well-documented history of alleviating headaches and the practice is used in many headache and pain centers.

PLAY DETECTIVE

Keeping a headache diary to track diet, activity, mood and headaches can turn up evidence that will help solve the mystery of what factors trigger an individual's pain. For some, it may be the tannins in red wine, hormone changes during your period, sensitivities to chemicals in foods (nitrites in lunch meat, bacon and hot dogs; MSG or amines in aged cheese, bananas, soup and pickled herring) or stressful deadline days. Keep a record of pain-free days, too; after all, that's what you want to duplicate!

Cady emphasizes that the goal of treating headaches, and migraine in particular, is to accept that you have a tendency toward headache that you can learn to manage; it's not something you "cure."

"So often, people are left to blame themselves for headaches, and in reality they do the same things that the rest of us do," says Cady. He even suggests that if migraine is well-managed, it brings with it a number of attributes and assets.

"This isn't necessarily a curse of nature," Cady emphasizes. "People who have this sensitive nervous system often do well in school and artistic endeavors. The number of famous artists and musicians living with migraines is very long. They tend to be conscientious, organized and very aware of others' feelings." Although knowing that information might not take the pain away, knowing that you're in good company could make living with these types of headaches a bit more bearable.

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Mazzotta G, Sarchielli P, et al. "Electromyographic ischemic test and intracellular and extracellular magnesium concentration in migraine and tension-type headache patients," Headache 1996;36(6):357-361.

Peikert A, Wilimzig C, et al. "Prophylaxis of migraine with oral magnesium: results from a prospective, multi-center, placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study," Cephalalgia 1996;16(4):257-263.

Robbins Lawrence and Lang Susan S. Headache Help. New York, New York; Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

Vogler BK, Pittler MH, Ernst E. "Feverfew as a preventive treatment for migraine: a systematic review," Cephalalgia 1998; 18(10): 704-708.