Healthy Ways to Manage Headaches

Healthy Ways to Manage Your Headaches

Headaches are one of the most commonly reported neurological disorders with 50% of adults experiencing symptoms at least once within the last 12 months. There are many different types of headaches including tension-type headaches, migraines, and sinus headaches. People typically look to over-the-counter pain relievers as a quick method to treat their symptoms, but there are other healthy ways to treat headaches that don’t involve medicine.

Magnesium- Magnesium is a mineral that is necessary for numerous biochemical reactions in the body to occur. If the body is lacking this mineral, you will be more prone to suffer from migraines and other conditions such as osteoporosis and hypertension. Taking 200-600mg of magnesium can help minimize the occurrence of headaches. For those who don’t like taking supplements, magnesium can be found naturally in leafy green vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.

Watch Your Diet- Certain foods have been associated with triggering headaches. Coffee and chocolate are two things that most people love to indulge, but the high levels of caffeine might be slowing you down rather than giving you a pick-me-up. Food additives like MSG have high levels of nitrate that can cause migraines as well so keep an eye out for these when reading food labels. In addition alcohol, aged cheeses, and cold foods have the ability to bring about head pain. Also look into getting yourself tested for food allergies and intolerances. Consuming foods that the body can’t properly digest will result in an inflammatory response, which can present itself in the form of a headache.

Essential Oils- Lavender and peppermint oils have been proven to be effective in reducing the intensity of headaches. Lavender oil can be used a mood stabilizer and stress reliever while peppermint oil produces a cooling sensation and anti-inflammatory effect. These healing oils can either be inhaled or topically applied to the temples and back of neck.

Stretching- Think about how many hours a day you spend looking down at your smartphone, computer, or desk at work. Keeping your head facing down for extended periods of time puts pressure and tension on your neck that induces headaches. Now you may not be able to control how often you are looking downwards, especially those of tall stature, but taking quick breaks to stretch out your neck can make all the difference! For every hour you spend looking down at work, try taking a minute to stretch your neck from side to side, front and back, and in a circular motion.

Chiropractic Care- Seeking regular chiropractic care can help reduce the frequency of pain and tension in the head by taking pressure off of nerves and joints. Adjustments also aid in regulating blood pressure and relieving sinus pressure which may be the cause of headaches. So what are you waiting for?! Call and schedule your next appointment with our office today at 843-884-1876.