There are several different types of headaches we can suffer from. The most common is the tension headache, followed by migraines and sinus headaches. One of the least common is cluster headaches. I myself spent many years battling with headaches, until I finally found out they were caused by food allergies. I went to a Chiropractor that practiced BioSet, and can once again eat almost anything I want.
What I want to focus on today is the tension headache, most commonly referred to as a 'normal' headache. These can be brought on by physical or emotional stress. Most often they are associated with a tightening of the muscles in the neck and shoulders. Because of this one of the most popular remedies is massage, often with an aromatherapy oil mixed with either a carrier oil or a moisturizing cream. Among the suggested oils are chamomile, lavender, elder flowers,rosemary, marjoram and mint, especially peppermint. Among the carrier oils are almond, sesame, sunflower or olive oil.
If you want a less smelly alternative many different sources recommend willow bark capsules. These are sometimes referred to as white willow. They along with wintergreen, meadowsweet, and cayenne contain salicin, from which scientists developed aspirin. All can be taken either as capsules or in tea form, though some say willow bark tea tastes nasty. Other herbs that are recommended are feverfew and bay, for the parthenolides they contain. Ginger is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and the tendency for decreasing the clumping of platelets. Ginger is often combined with turmeric, which is also an anti-inflammatory, and thus a pain reliever.
Many people get great results from relaxation techniques and biofeedback. One relaxation technique I have tried is EFT. You can learn more about it at www.emofree.com and many other websites. Sometimes it is also referred to as Meridian Tapping.
Don't forget caffeine in your fight against headaches. Sometimes as little as half a cup of coffee is all that is needed to make a headache fade away.
Reading up on headaches I did not expect to come across anything that had to do with enzymes, but I did run across this sentence "Riboflavin helps the enzymes in the body tap into the energy stored in those cells." Although mainly speaking of migraines this sentence refers to preventing and revealing headaches by increasing your Riboflavin intake so more energy gets to the cells of your brain. This is interesting because early work in enzymes did not show that they entered the brain, though later studies proved they did. If you doubt you have enough enzymes for Riboflavin to work for you reach for a bottle of Enriching Gifts Plant Enzymes.
Besides paying attention to the things (such as stress) that trigger your headaches doctors are recommending improving your nutrition as a way of preventing headaches. Along with Riboflavin they recommend getting more Magnesium. Both are found in Enriching Gifts Complete Vitamins Plus. Research shows that some people need higher amounts of these than the Enriching Gifts Complete Vitamins Plus contains. In those cases you will want to supplement with individual supplements. One Belgian study suggested 400 milligrams of Riboflavin per day. Dr. Burton M. Altura, M.D. is a professor of physiology and medicine at the New York Health Science Center, he recommends 500 to 600 milligrams of magnesium per day.
Though the Enriching Gifts International line of products doesn't have anything designed for headaches you can see there are a lot of solutions other than the medicine cabinet. If these remedies don't work for you please see your doctor. Sometimes headaches can be a symptom of something much more dangerous, or just something annoying. One of these is Candida, or yeast infections.
Sources:
Nature'fs Medicines by Gale Maleskey and the Editors of Prevention Health Books, copyright 1999 by Rodale Inc.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White MD and Steven Foster, copyright 2000 by Rodale Press
The Good Herb by Judith Benn Hurley, copyright 1995 by Judith Benn Hurley.
Enzymes the Fountain of Life by D.A Lopez, M.D., R.M Williams, M.D., Ph.D and K. Miehlke, M.D. copyrighted 1994 by the Neville Press Inc.
Blended Medicine Combining Mainstream and Alternative Therapies by Michael Castleman copyrighted 2000 by Michael Castleman.
Smart Choices in Alternative Medicine by Samuel Benjamin, M.D. copyrighted 1999 by Meredith Corporation.
The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates with Linda Schatze copyrighted 1996, 2006 by Donna Gates.
