As anyone who has ever suffered from them can tell you, headaches are no fun.  They cost the country billions of dollars in lost productivity annually.  For those who suffer from headaches regularly, life can become very challenging.  

In extreme cases, headache sufferers feel like they are going from episode to episode waiting for the next one to come.  Quality of life suffers tremendously and the condition affects not only the sufferer but also their family, friends, and colleagues.

There are a number of commonly used alternative treatments for dealing with headaches.  The success of the treatment depends heavily on active participation by the client.  Alternative treatments usually display a lower ratio of successful headache management but can be a viable option for those seeking to avoid taking pills to solve the problem.

Tension Headache Relief
For tension headaches, there are a few options.  Chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, and herbs are all used with varying degrees of success.  Supplements such as magnesium, butterbur, and feverfew have some support in the literature, but it is minimal.  If you opt for herbal remedies, make sure to check with your physician so as to avoid negative interactions with other medications you might be taking.

Massage may help with tension headaches because it is designed to reduce tightness in muscles and general tension.  There aren’t too many studies in place yet that provide hard numbers, but the initial data is promising.  Chiropractics have been shown to be effective in treating other problems, but research specific to headaches isn’t conclusive.

Acupuncture and meditation have both been documented as effective for controlling headache pain.  Learning to relax your own muscles eases tensions that lead to headaches.  It is believed that inserting the needles in an acupuncture treatment may lead to the release of the body’s own endorphins which leads to a reduction in pain.

Migraine Headache
Alternative practices for migraine headaches are less conclusive than for tension headaches.  The suggestions that are most common involve management of pain through rubbing of trigger points, ice, chiropractics, and coenzyme Q10.  All the treatments are considered experimental in nature, but may have positive effects in certain individuals.

A More Traditional Approach
Regardless of the source of your headache, your main goal is to get rid of it as soon as possible and keep it from returning.  With that in mind, there are some options that just seem better than others.  Avoid medications that include caffeine as one of the ingredients.  They may cause the headache to receded, but it is likely to come back as the caffeine exits your system.

Consult with your doctor and keep a headache diary to show him/her.  Your doctor may spot patterns that you haven’t seen.  Take medications faithfully, as prescribed, several migraine medications work best when taken before a headache starts to get bad.  Join a gym or biofeedback class to help keep stress levels under control.

Regardless of which avenue you choose, getting your headaches under control can make a tremendous difference in your day to day existence.