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This article will deal the best treatment for sinus headache relief. The cause of sinus headaches can be sinus congestion and inflammation which is known as sinusitis. This can be the result of a respiratory infection like a flu or cold, or allergies such as hay fever. When the sinuses work properly mucus is allowed to drain and air can circulate through the nasal passages. But when the area is inflamed, there is blockage and the mucus cannot drain. This turns them into a breeding ground for bacteria, fungus and viruses. Most often caused by a cold, sinusitis can result from anything that stops the sinuses from draining properly.

The best sinus headache relief is to address the underlying sinus inflammation. Doctors will usually prescribe antibiotics or corticosteroids. But there are many other things that are lifestyle related that you can do such as using a humidifier or irrigating your nasal passages with salt water which may help. There are a few dietary supplements and herbs that can help with cold and flu prevention, improve your immune system and treat your infection.

One important point to sinus headache relief is discovering what allergy is causing your sinusitis. It could be the mites in your mattress or certain pollen in the air. If you just put up with your stuffy nose or sneezing that is what leads to sinusitis.

A great natural way to help your sinusitis is Vitamin C which is available in every health food that has antioxidants. Foods such as broccoli, strawberries, cauliflower and gooseberry are all excellent source of vitamin C. The citrus fruits like pineapple and oranges are also good sources. You could make some homemade lemonade with lemons or have a large bowl of tomato soup to boost you intake.

Some sinus headache relief can be found with having more warm soups and decreasing the amount of cold items you eat. This can help regulate the sinuses. Regular consumption of warm water can also aid the sinuses. Another solution is steam. Using an electric steam machine or just a bowl of warm water. Adding some eucalyptus oil to the water can help its effect.

Other home remedies for sinus headache relief include using the supplement Echinacea that can be taken in capsule form and is good for sinus allergies. Ginger tea and sleep are also good choices of sinus headache relief. A warm water compress on the painful head or sinus areas can also be helpful.

In the last few years the use of nasal irrigation has grown in popularity. This technique can be done with what is called a neti pot, which is like a tea pot. This yogic method is very effective at cleaning out the sinus cavities. Most commonly salt water or a saline solution is used. A lot of people have found this to be the most helpful sinus headache relief.

Migraine causes debilitating, very painful headaches that can involve other sensory signs before or during an attack that may include flashing lights, visual blind spots, numb arms or legs, vomiting and nausea, increased light and sound sensitivity. A migraine causes bad pain that can go on for hours or in some cases days. This article will deal with the normal treatments for migraines and then a natural cure that will surprise you.

Enlarged blood vessels combined with a chemical over-sensitizing nerve fibers of these blood vessels results in a migraine headache. During a migraine attack an artery located outside the skull around the temple area of the head will become enlarged. This triggers chemicals to be released which cause more pain and inflammation and more artery enlargement.

A migraine causes other responses in the body like the sympathetic nervous system which causes sensations of nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. These sensations delay the emptying of the stomach into the small intestine which in turn leads to issues with food absorption, decreases in blood circulation which results in cold hands and feet and heightened sensitivity to light and sound.

Males are less likely to suffer from migraines than females. Each year it is estimated that over 28 million Americans are afflicted with migraines.

Decreasing migraine causes like the popular migraine therapies known as abortive or preventative therapy which is commonly referred to as prophylactic therapy has its key area on avoiding triggers, dealing with symptoms and taking medication. A first order of abortive therapy is the use of over the counter medication like naproxen, paracetamol, ibuprofen and other normal analgesics. These have the task of eliminating or reducing the pain of the headache. When sensations of nausea and vomiting are concerned, anti-emetics may be used.
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Preventing migraine causes begins with avoiding things that trigger the condition. With the main aim of prophylactic therapies to reduce the frequency, painfulness and length of a migraine and to assist in abortive therapies. Examples of preventative migraine medicine include diet changes, exercise and prescription drugs.

The scent of lavender results in relaxing and reducing the intensity of a migraine’s inflammation on the blood vessels as demonstrated by new research. Lavender flowers posses unique compounds that have medicinal properties, and the scent can reduce migraine headaches and associated symptoms. They also are anti-spasmodic to the enlarged blood vessels and the tight muscles of the head, eyes and neck and therefore will help them relax.

The issues of anxiety and stress are just 2 of the commonly reported migraine causes that people note. Lavender has an ability to help ease anxiety and depression which is well known to herbalists and the smell can increase the senses and power of cognitive capabilities. Recent research has shown that lavender has the power to decrease stress, lessen anxiety levels and better the mood of those suffering from headaches. The use of this herbal remedy is greatly helpful to people whose migraine causes may result in anxiety or depression.

Sometimes people suffering from TMJ problems go through a difficult and painful time before getting a diagnosis or treatment plan. Here’s how to find out if this could be your problem, and if so, what to do about it.

TMJ is not a medical diagnosis, it’s actually an abbreviation for the name of a joint in your jaw area, the temporomandibular joint. Your TMJ can cause pain for many reasons, especially if you grind your teeth at night, carry tension in your jaw, or put repeated pressure on the joint. Many people believe that TMJ always presents as a popping sound in the jaw, or even locking of the jaw, but that’s not always the case. You may initially feel that you have a headache, especially in the crown or temples. You may feel that you have sinus pressure, an earache, or a toothache. This is because the pressure on the joint is affecting nerves that may refer pain to these areas. You may also feel tension in your neck or face. Some patients report ringing in the ears or dizziness.

A doctor should be consulted for any headache which persists or otherwise concerns you. Your doctor may do a CT scan to rule out possible causes. If nothing conclusive is found, you may be referred to a neurologist. An experienced chiropractor or dentist may be more likely to suggest a TMJ diagnosis. If diagnosed with a TMJ problem, you will probably be asked to discontinue any habits such as gum-chewing, fingernail-biting, or holding objects (like toothpicks) in your mouth, if you engage in these. In addition, you may be instructed to give your jaws a rest by eating soft foods, limiting mouth movements when talking, and not yawning widely. These habits require a good deal of thought to change, but should bring about improvements, especially if combined with pain-relieving treatments. Many doctors recommend over-the-counter pain relievers, or may prescribe stronger pain relievers or muscle relaxers. Some refer patients to a hypnotist or therapist who can help with stress reduction. Alternative treatments may include a visit to a massage therapist, accupuncturist, or accupressurist who can relieve pain by treating pressure points. You may also be shown how to do exercises that will relax your jaw muscles and correct the way you move your jaw. Using a mouth guard is a controversial treatment; some doctors insist it’s necessary and others believe it can make matters much worse. Always talk to your doctor or dentist before using any type of mouth guard. And never consent to any type of surgery for TMJ without a second opinion. Some invasive treatments have been known to cause permanent damage or worsen the pain. Let your dentist and anyone who works on your teeth know if you suspect TMJ problems. You will need to take short rest breaks when having any dental cleaning or procedure done to avoid prolonged stress on the joint and associated muscles.

People with TMJ pain often report that the two most effective treatments are moist heat and jaw positioning. Moist heating pads can be purchased fairly inexpensively at a good drugstore or medical supply company. These are very easy to use and can bring you great relief in just a few minutes of use. Even a hot, wet facecloth can be beneficial. Just apply the cloth over the area of the joint, making sure it’s not hot enough to burn your skin. Keep it in place for about ten minutes, and repeat hourly as needed, or use the schedule prescribed by your doctor. Jaw positioning can be achieved by concentrating on relaxing the jaw while placing the tip of the tongue gently behind the upper front teeth, which hinders you from clenching your jaw. To use this technique to maximum effect, remind yourself any time throughout the day when you are not eating or talking to return your tongue to this position. Eventually, you will find that this becomes habit and you will return to this position when you become aware of tension in your jaw. These two treatments have maximum effect and low (or no) risk, so you may want to try them even if you have not been diagnosed with a TMJ disorder.

TMJ pain is disruptive to your life, but it can be controlled. Different treatments help different people, so don’t give up if something doesn’t work immediately. Keep trying and see what works for you.

If tension headaches have been the bane of your existence, undertaking a specific headache program for relief is absolutely essential to your health and well-being. The good news is that with just a few lifestyle changes and easy treatment regiments outlined here, you stand a good chance of experiencing immediate headache relief. But, before we get to the good stuff, let’s take a look at what these nasty thumpers are and why you keep getting tension headaches in the first place.

What is a Tension Headache and Why Do I Get Them?

These headaches differ from other types of headaches in that the pain is usually dull, aching and diffuse (i.e. the pain spreads around the whole neck and head region rather than focalizing in one spot.) It can feel like someone has put a vice around the base of your skull or a tight band around the head.

Tension headaches are generally brought on by stress. This stress can be emotional (your kids are failing school, your significant other has left you, your boss makes your life a living nightmare, etc.) or the stress can be physical (long hours spent hunched over a computer screen, poor posture, being overweight, not getting enough exercise, eating poorly, etc.)

How to Give Yourself a Program of Tension Headache Relief

Treating tension headaches effectively means fostering healthy habits, exploring non-drug treatments, and using medications only as a last resort.

Here are some Healthy Habits for Relief:

• One of the easiest ways to prevent tension headaches is to take care of yourself. Make sure that you are eating foods that provide your body with all the nutrition it needs to function properly.
• Get enough sleep and change your pillow or sleeping position if you wake up with a headache already underway.
• Stretch, exercise, and drink water regularly to help your muscles limber up and release tension naturally.

Non-Drug Treatments for Tension Headache Relief

There is a ton of things you can do to alleviate headaches without reaching for the painkillers. The easiest options include:

• Getting a massage. (Or, massaging yourself if you don’t have a partner – focus on the muscles along the shoulder blades and along the top of the shoulders, the muscles on both sides of the neck, the pressure points at the base of the skull, along the scalp, around the back of the ears, and across the top of the forehead.)
• Learn basic yoga postures. (A beginner’s yoga class is cheap and usually lasts about 6 weeks. That’s all the instruction you’ll need to learn the basic moves that keep your body light and limber, your muscles loose and your mood naturally elevated.)
• Learn stress management. (Realize that in any given situation, you have a choice about how you are going to respond. Identify your stress triggers and figure out how to manage them better so that they don’t make you crazy. This could involve taking a class, getting a new job, going into therapy or simply taking a walk – the point is to eliminate stress from your life, no matter how you choose to do it.)

Use Medications to Treat Tension Headaches Appropriately

There are a variety of over the counter and prescription medications that are designed to kill pain, but remember to use them sparingly. Overuse of medications not only increases tolerance, making them less effective over time, but it can also cause what is known as rebound headaches – otherwise known as headaches that happen any time you are not on medication – which is certainly a situation you want to avoid.

All in all, tension headache relief is within your grasp. So take action now by implementing these easy lifestyle changes and stop the pain before it starts. If you are looking to include some form of a pain reliever you might consider one of the many natural and safe homeopathic pain relievers on the market today. As we move forward we explore a few of these options.

Even if you were not reading this article, chances are that you suffer from headaches. About 90 percent of Americans do. The frequency and intensity of these headaches vary among individuals, but most of us have experienced a pounding headache, or a dull ache followed by nausea at some point in our lives.

People try different approaches to cope with the throbbing pain. Some grin and bear it. Others lie down or rub their temples. Most take pain medication while they wait for the pain to go away. And while it’s true that the present headache does go away, taking medication only alleviates momentary pain. Some migraine medications may provide instant relief, but may cause another rebound migraine the following day.

The Chiropractic Approach

Chiropractic care has shown another, more effective and long lasting approach to treating headaches. According to research findings, spinal manipulation may be an effective way to treat tension headaches and headaches that have their origin in the neck. In addition, findings showed that spinal manipulation offered sustained pain relief for tension headaches. It also presented much fewer side effects than common medication.

A study showed that spinal manipulation effectively treats tension headaches. Patients who underwent repeated treatments of at least four weeks experienced long-lasting pain relief.

Another clinical trial showed that 72 percent of migraine patients had their symptoms significantly or noticeably reduced after a treatment session of chiropractic care. The trial was conducted on 123 migraine sufferers, most of whom were chronic headache sufferers (the average length of time was 18 years of headaches). The improvement these patients encountered was seen as especially significant considering how chronic many of these cases were.

The above study also looked at the neck’s role in leading to headaches, concluding that it is a significant contributing factor. Chiropractic care’s methods of addressing this issue were shown to be very effective.

What Causes a Headache?

There are many factors that can lead to a headache. These factors can include unsettling noises, stress, eating certain foods, blood sugar changes, insomnia and much more. A small percentage of all headaches are also warning signs of another physical illness.

The majority of headaches are not related to a disease, however. Rather they are known as primary headaches, which include migraine, tension or cluster headaches. Most of these primary headaches are related to tension in the neck muscles. Spending hours in a fixed position is partly the culprit, since a sedentary lifestyle and fixed postures can lead to irritation of the joint and muscle tension in the neck, as well as the upper back and scalp. This irritation and tension can, in turn, cause a headache.

What Can Help?

Avoid dehydration by drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. Dehydration is associated with causing headaches.

Make sure to stretch every 30 minutes to one hour if you spend a lot of time in one fixed position, such as sitting in front of a computer. When you stretch, move your head in such a way that it comfortably exercises your range of motion.

Exercise that is low impact, such as walking and light aerobics, may help relieve the pain. But avoid a heavy exercise routine if you are afflicted with throbbing headaches.

When you are not swallowing food, avoid clenching your teeth. This places stress on the joints that connect your jaw to your skull, leading to irritation and possibly, a tension headache.

The Chiropractic Role

Provided you have a primary headache that is not a symptom of another disease, your doctor of chiropractic may do the following to give you effective headache relief:

• Offer nutritional recommendations in the form of dietary changes and the use of certain supplements.
• Advise you on ergonomics (adequate work postures), relaxation techniques, and helpful exercises. Adopting some of these techniques and exercises can help you reduce joint irritation and tension in the neck and upper back.
• Make spinal adjustment or manipulation to boost spinal function and reduce overall stress on your body.

Remember, doctors of chiropractic are trained to know how tension in the spine affects the body as a whole. Once your spine tension is addressed, primary headaches tend to go away on their own.

Headaches are a very common occurrence in today’s high-paced and stressful lifestyle. Treatment for headaches commonly involves using non-prescription and prescription medications. However, many intelligent individuals are realizing that there is a natural solution for prevention and pain relief.
Most headaches are caused by muscle tension in the neck, head and shoulder regions. This is usually due to poor posture and chronic stress at home or work.
Treatment for headaches includes using non-prescription medications like Advil, Aleve and Tylenol. They can provide relief but many people are looking for a natural cure for this annoying problem.
Effective natural treatment for headaches? Are there any?

Listed below are some of the popular and effective remedies that work well to prevent and reduce the severity of existing headaches.

Feverfew

Feverfew has been popular in the past and is still currently an effective treatment for headaches, especially migraines. Clinical studies show that it works to reduce the frequency, severity and duration of migraine headaches.

Some evidence is appearing to show that feverfew might be helpful for headaches in general, especially tension headaches.

Experts generally recommend using standardized extracts. This is to ensure that you get a consistent dose from one batch of product to another.

The active ingredients parthenolides are commonly used in the standardization process. Look for products that tell you how much parthenolides each pill contains rather than just the amount of the feverfew herb.
Homeopathic Headache Remedies

European countries are known for their holistic approach to health. Homeopathic remedies and natural remedies are often used in conjunction with conventional treatment for headaches and many other health conditions.

One major advantage of using homeopathic medicine is that there are no side effects. They are generally safe to use, even in children.

Homeopathic treatment for headaches can provide quick relief and can be used regularly to prevent headaches as well.
5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)

5-HTP is a natural supplement that is shown to prevent and treat tension headaches and migraines. Preliminary studies suggest that it works by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain and boosting the production of endorphins. Serotonins are responsible for regulating blood flow in the brain and endorphins are the body’s natural painkiller substance.
Magnesium
You might have heard that magnesium helps to regulate blood pressure and contributes to strong bones, but did you know that it also seems to work to as a treatment for headaches in some people?

Magnesium is needed by the nervous system and contributes to the health of the blood vessels. One clinical trial showed that people suffering from migraine headaches tend to have lower levels of magnesium compared to those without headaches.

Is taking magnesium for headaches right for you? It’s actually easy to find out. Take 200 mg three times daily for two or three months and see if you have less frequent or less severe headaches. A blood test for magnesium levels can also be considered.
Want to find out many more other effective treatment for headaches that work to cure all types of headaches including migraine headaches?

Start with natural treatment for headaches first before consider using non-prescription or prescription medications. These natural remedies have fewer side effects.

Headaches – a top ten reason for seeking outpatient care

This description of headaches was made famous by Robert Ulrich’s Excedrin commercials almost twenty years ago, and echoes the continued all-encompassing pain suffered by many today.
Patients with headaches account for 9 million visits to primary care physicians annually, and among all outpatient visits, headache is listed as the number seven reason for seeking care. Over 45 million Americans suffer from some form of headache. Peak incidence of this condition strikes people in the most active and productive periods of their lives ages 25-55. Functionally, headaches have a devastating effect on quality of life. According to the RAND short form Quality of Life instrument, Migraine sufferers experience a quality of life inferior to other chronic conditions including arthritis, diabetes, back pain and depression.

We’re not talking simple Brain Freeze

Baskin Robbins has its 33 flavors of brain freeze and headaches alike come in a whopping 27 different varieties. To simplify these types are broken into three main types:

(1) vascular (migraine),

(2) tension-type and

(3) traction and inflammatory.

True vascular and inflammatory headaches are usually managed with medication and strategies to identify/modify triggers. A common subtype of the tension headache, cervicogenic headache often has a musculoskeletal component. The World Cervicogenic Headache Society defines this type as “referred pain perceived in any part of the head caused by a primary nociceptive source in the musculoskeletal tissues innervated by cervical nerves”. Symptom with this type of headache commonly begin in the neck and radiate into the head. Pain can be dull, a deep ache or severe and intense. Headaches may be present upon waking or begin or worsen throughout the day, especially with sustained neck postures. History of neck trauma may or may not be involved.

Sources of Pain/dysfunction

Cervical (neck) facet joints have been recognized as a source of cervicogenic headache. Specifically the upper three cervical segments are capable or referring pain into the neck, base of the skull and temples. Manual therapy examination of mobility in the neck has been used to identify alterations in joint movement and reproduce head and neck pain. A study of this examination by Jull found it to be as accurate as a radiologically controlled diagnostic blocks in detecting symptomatic joints in the cervical spine. While muscle tightness has not been shown to be a strong feature of these headaches, decreased muscle strength and endurance are commonly associated with CGH.

Diagnostic Criteria

The following Criteria was established by the International Headaches Society for the diagnosis of cervicogenic headache. All categories (A-D) must be met to make a diagnosis.

A. Pain is localized to the neck and occipital region and may project to forehead, orbital region, temples, vertex, and ears.

B. Pain is precipitated or aggravated by special neck movements or sustained neck posture.

C. At least one of the following:

a. Resistance to or limitation of passive neck movements
b. Changes in neck muscle contour, texture, tone, or response to active and passive stretching and contraction.
c. Abnormal tenderness of neck muscles

D. Radiological exam reveals at least one of the following:

a. Movement abnormalities in flexion/extension
b. Abnormal posture
c. Fractures, congenital abnormalities, bone tumors, RA, other distinct pathology except spondylosis and osteochondrosis

Effective Treatment

Manual physical therapy of the cervical spine has been shown to be effective in relieving or reducing the occurrence of CGH. Following treatment, improvements were noted in headache frequency, duration, and intensity. Reduced need for pain medication has also been reported in the literature.

Prevention is still better than cure, and be strong enough to fight against migraine numbness. The human brain has two hemispheres, the left and the right hemispheres. The left hemisphere deals with the human’s use of language and the right hand is being maneuvered by this hemisphere. Aside from language, writing, scientific skills, math and logic fall under this hemisphere. If you are right handed then the most dominant area of your brain is the left one. The right hemisphere deals with creativity, emotional awareness, strong imagination and music. A left handed person is said to be dominated by the right hemisphere. The brain and the nervous system are closely related with each other.

The nervous system is divided into two, the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system. The system that is associated with the different senses of the human body is the peripheral nervous system. The senses include; smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch. The sense of pain is connected to this part of the brain. And one of the painful illnesses that a man can acquire is migraine. It is an intense pain in the head also known as the headache. Having a migraine is like hell and you can suffer from migraine numbness too.

Migraine is caused by too much stress, hormonal changes in women, not enough sleep and too much sun or light exposure. The brain has coiled arteries and once the blood vessels dilate or enlarges the coiled arteries elongates. The elongated arteries produce and release chemicals that initiate pain through out the body system.

To know if you are already been attacked by migraine you should have the following symptoms:

1. You can feel an intense pain in the head; along with pain are hazy visions.

2. You’ve become too sensitive to sunlight and noise.

3. Due to hazy vision, nausea and vomiting might occur.

4. And some might have experience migraine numbness.

What is migraine numbness? Your body will become insensitive of your different kind of senses. The nerve cells are not functioning well. During migraine a person may experience migraine numbness. You can’t feel your own hand anymore. Aside from hand the arms and the face are at risk of migraine numbness too. The tongue and your feet could be attacked too. Numbness in the head is applicable too if left untreated. This the common symptom that you can experience when provoked by migraine. And since having migraine numbness is not a good idea after all, the best thing to know first is what to do when migraines would attack.

If you are in pain already make sure not to expose yourself under the sun or any source of light. It is better to look for a dark room and stay there for a while or until the pain subsides. Staying under the sun might cause nausea and may result into vomiting. Place cold compress or wet cloth behind your neck to lessen the pain or take a shower first. This would help to constrict the dilated blood vessels of your brain. Eat fruits and foods rich in vitamin c and b3. Avoid doing exhausting jobs and just relax. Also, eating cheese, foods containing monosodium glutamate and different kinds of vices should be avoided too. Even if you are following the right things it is still best to see a doctor for any advices. If migraine numbness occurs, you see the doctor right away or else it may result into severe complications. Doctors can advice you to undergo MRI or any brain scans.

If an individual has recurrent headaches, that’s far more than 3 per week, and repeatedly takes around the counter medication for these headaches, the amount of over-the-counter medicine they are taking could actually be causing the headaches. When this happens, the headache is referred to being a rebound headache. Frequent head aches can outcome from improper dosing of over-the-counter medicines as the overdosing can be the end result of the medication interfering with the brains capability to correctly sense agony. This worsens the headache ache, which in turn leads to a vicious cycle of dependency and withdrawing.

Other sorts of frequent severe headaches include transformed migraines, chronic tension headache, hemicrania continua, and new day-to-day persistent headaches. As the name suggests new every day persistent headaches are severe headaches that occur in people who have had no previous history of severe headaches. These folks may unexpectedly experience sudden discomfort day-to-day or as a outcome of another illness including a viral infection.

Hemicrania continua is a terrible chronic kind of headaches that causes severe soreness to one side of the persons’ face. These severe headaches have two separate sets of signs and symptoms depending on the person. Some people have cold or allergy like signs or symptoms accompanying these regular headaches, even though others have far more of the migraine kind reaction. These headaches often last for a day or more, while some people have signs and symptoms for months at a time with pain free months in between episodes. The difference in between these and transformed migraines is thought to be that hemicrania continua sufferers don’t normally have a background of migraines.

Transformed migraines are often a migraine kind of rebound headaches where overmedicating has brought on a dependency withdrawal cycle which ultimately brings about a lot more regular head aches and severe discomfort. The most effective solution to this trouble is to seek a doctor’s assistance in slowly weaning off the medication and resuming a healthier dosing cycle. If not caused by medicine, other physical or mental conditions might contribute to the regular reoccurrence of these repeated head aches.

Chronic tension headaches are often an evolved kind of tension headache; the evolution can take place simply because of both mental and physical changes. An injury could have lasting everyday effects on a person who already suffers from tension headaches, as can unusual amounts of stress, depression, or numerous other ailments could have the same lasting results. The rebound headache dilemma can also be related back to tension headaches, as more than medicating begins to cause far more difficulties. These frequent head aches are ideal addressed with a doctor to produce the ideal plan for each individual.

Headaches and nausea are two of the most common forms of illness and are about equal in terms of the feeling of wretchedness they can impose. Unfortunately the medications used in bringing relief often have side-effects that rival the original complaint for all the discomfort and suffering they bring.

These medications mostly work on the basis of numbing the sensitivity of the body’s nervous system in the areas affected. This is actually counter-productive, as the pain and discomfort of headaches and nausea are the body’s way of sounding the alarm and forcing the sufferer to take remedial action.

For example, most headaches are caused by tension in the neck and shoulder muscles. This causes the blood vessels carrying vital oxygen to the nerve cells in the brain to constrict and thereby impede the flow – a situation that cannot be allowed to continue for long if some kind of damage is to be avoided. Hence the body’s alarm call in the form of a headache.

The same principle applies to nausea, which can be caused by nervousness or a stomach upset, or through having swallowed certain drugs or alcohol. It’s the body’s call to slow down and deal with the disorder before doing anything else.

If there is a more serious cause then your headaches or nausea will persist or recur, in which case you should consult a doctor or physician.

Most headaches and nausea, though, are not that serious, but they are nonetheless distressing and even painful, and it is in any event in your interests to deal with the root cause, rather than just the symptoms. The following exercises will help you do that.

1. Relief from headaches.

You have to dissolve the tension through relaxation, and open up those constricted blood vessels. This double exercise involves potent points on either side of your head. Find the two points in your eye hollows at the top near the bridge of your nose, and press them using your left thumb and index finger.

At the same time find the hollow in the center of the back of your neck, at the base of your skull, and press this point with your right thumb. Relax in a sitting position with your head tilted back, and breathe deeply and regularly through the nose, or inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, whichever is the more natural for you.

Do this for one to two minutes at a time, until your headache subsides. Try to banish all worries and anxieties from your mind and think of something comforting. If you can, play some soothing music at low volume while you do this natural headache relief.

2. Relief from nausea.

You’ll have to try this exercise for yourself in order to appreciate how effective it is. Find the points on each leg that are about two and a half to three inches below the knee and a finger-width to the outside of the shin bone. It’s the point where a muscle flexes when you move your foot up and down.

Briskly rub up and down with your fists, or alternatively press into those points for thirty seconds to a minute at a time. You will find that this brings relief from nausea, indigestion and fatigue.

The important thing to remember about headaches and nausea is that they are usually the body’s way of forcing you to attend to its needs, that you may have been neglecting, and all it needs is a little TLC.