5 natural remedies for headaches that actually work!

Headaches are fairly common in today's stressful world. Instead of popping a pill, try these home remedies.

By: Anusuya Suresh | | Updated: May 12, 2016 6:23 pm

Read this article in HINDI.

Headaches can be extremely uncomfortable and annoying to state the least. That being said, you might suffer from a headache due to a number of reasons including tension headaches, cluster headaches or even a migraine, but they are all unbearable and can interfere with your daily life. While you might be tempted to pop a painkiller to beat the pain, having medication too frequently can have severe side effects on your body. So, instead of loading up on those pills, here are 5 home remedies that actually work.

Massage

If the headache seems to be concentrated in the forehead region, place both your index fingers on either side of the bridge of your nose; between your eyebrows. Press down and move your fingers in circular movements across the eyebrows. This will help relieve the tension in the muscles in the front part of your skull.

If you have a tension headache that seems to be squeezing your head, try giving yourself a quick massage on the scalp with some essential oil such as peppermint or lavender oil. The friction and the action of the oil increases blood to circulation on your scalp, and this helps reduce the spasm of the muscles on the skull, providing relief from the headache.

According to Ayurvedic texts too much of heat generated in the body (or pitta) leads to headaches. In such situations, cooling the body down may help reduce the pain. Drink some buttermilk or tender coconut water; ot try massaging some castor oil onto your scalp and the soles of your feet. You can then follw this up by washing them with warm water and shikakai. Apart from this you could also try including poppy seeds (khus-khus), coconut and ghee into your diet.

Ginger

According to the concept in Ayurveda a headache is triggered by some impairment of the digestive ability of the body. And this is where the digestive properties of ginger help beat a headache. To harness the pain-killing power of the volatile oils present in ginger just crush a little fresh ginger, boil it in some water. Now filter this decoction and drink it when it is warm to find marked reduction in the intensity of your headache.

Eat right

Research increasingly shows that certain foods have the ability to trigger headaches – especially migraines. Foods such as cheese, coffee, chocolate and tea that contain vasoactive amines, that are known to trigger painful migraine headaches. These amines affect the flow of blood in and around the brain, leading to headaches. If you frequently suffer from headaches, maintain a food diary and note down what food specifically triggers your headaches and avoid these foods to keep headaches at bay.

Stretching exercises

Headaches are characterized by a feeling of tenseness in the neck, shoulder and scalp. A few simple exercises to stretch these areas can help reduce the intensity of the headaches. Move your chin upwards and downwards, towards left and right alternately and bend the neck sideways towards each shoulder by turns. You can also try to slowly rotate the neck in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions to help the shoulder and neck muscles relax. This relaxation of the tense muscles will reduce the pain of the headache.

Green tea

Rich in antioxidants, green tea is an excellent remedy for headaches. Brew a little green tea and squeeze in the juice of half and lemon and drink warm. That being said you must know that too much of a good thing can also be bad for you, here are the ill effects of having too much green tea.

An occasional headache that comes on because of having missed a meal or having missed your habitual cup of coffee in the morning is nothing much to worry about. But if you find yourself suffering from frequent headaches and reaching out for those painkillers more often than once a week, it could be an indication of a deeper ailment. A headache is more like a symptom of some underlying problem than a disorder itself and therefore, it is vital you find out what the matter is.

According to Ayurveda, it could indicate a nervous system that is highly sensitive or a digestive system that is functioning below par. If these natural remedies do not provide much help, visit a physician to find out what exactly you need to do to heal yourself.

Image Source: Getty Images

Published : February 2, 2015 1:00 pm | Updated:May 12, 2016 6:23 pm

Read Disclaimer