I have a stressful job and get tension headaches about 4 times a week. I used to pop a couple of Excedrine and it would get rid of them within a 1/2 hour. But I heard it’s not safe to take acetometophine that much, so I have been trying to get rid of them naturally, but the only thing that helps is to go home and run for 15 minutes or so. But this doesn’t help me during work hours. I’ve tried drinking lots of water, tried having someone rub my neck and back. I’ve tried heat compresses on my neck. But nothing works, except running. Even a nap doesn’t help!
Does anyone know of a natural cure or medicine I can buy?
Not just any old tree bark - Salicylic acid, an extract of willow bark is an anti-inflammatory drug from which aspirin was originally made (I think it is synthesised nowadays).
I wouldn’t recommend that you just go out and start chewing trees at random.
Believe it or not, any activity that allows the body to produce endorphines will help a headache. A good toe-curling orgasm always helps my headaches, although, any kind of exercise is said to help.
This makes me wonder why other women use a headache as an excuse not to have sex.
I think a good natural cure, in this case, would be to get a less stressful job. Obviously this may not be easy, but it would have great long term benefits.
If your main concern is the acetaminophen in Excedrin then you might like to try my headache cure - Two or three aspirin and a cup of coffee or can of coke. All Excedrin contains is aspirin acetaminophen and caffeine. I have found that the acetaminophen don’t really help me as much as the aspirin and caffeine does.
Two natural remedies sometimes help me but I am not sure how much use they will be to you at work. Hot water on my head (usually from the shower) and wrapping an ace bandage around my head.
In addition, if you feel that your headaches are tension or stress related it might help prevent them if you started practicing Yoga or some other relaxation techniques. You need to learn how to relax before the headache starts.
I had a biology teacher tell me this and it works OK. Put your hands behind your head and press the heels of your hands into your neck just below the base of your skull for 30 seconds. Once you release the pressure your headache feels better.
Salicylic acid is present in some tree barks. However, it is quite acidic and causes stomach pains often worse than the headache it cures (which is why it is modified into acetylsalicylic acid to make aspirin).
Many years ago an Asian friend taught me this headache cure.
In the web formed by your thumb and index finger, well toward the back, there’s a point that’s sensative to pressure. Feel around with the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand and you’ll find it. It’s right near the point where the two fingers intersect if you make a “gun” with your index finger and thumb. Hard pressure on this point should make you wince.
If you have a headache, or feel one starting, apply hard pressure to this point for about 30 seconds. In most cases I can cure or prevent the headache from getting worse.
Now I’ll admit it might not work for everyone. And I can’t remember if you are supposed to pinch the hand that corresponds to the side the headache’s on or the oppasite hand. Truth be told, I usually apply pressure to both.
Holy gosh. I had a tension headache while I was reading this, and I just tried the pressure point thing, and it did get a little better. (and reminded me of the joke about a yogi masturbating–he starts hitting his penis with a hammer, and when he stops, it feels really really good)
Tension headaches are caused by unconsciously clenching muscles in your neck and jaw–the average sufferer of frequent tension headaches actually has a bite about ten times stronger than a person who doesn’t get them. If you’re willing to invest the time and money–and can find a center–biofeedback can train you to relax the muscles or even not clench them to begin with, theoretically taking away the headaches. It is true that a good night’s sleep, with plenty of REM to relax all of my muscles, is the only thing short of drugs that takes them away entirely.