This first article is about comprehensive natural approaches to headaches. All of us have clients/patients who suffer from headaches of varying degrees of severity on a regular basis. Any information we can provide, in addition to the relief we can give with our hands, can be very helpful. It is also appreciated that we care enough to provide information that might be helpful. This article could help with that objective.

Carolyn Chambers Clark, RN, EdD
is BellaOnline’s Holistic Health Host

Headache Free

This article explores a holistic approach to headaches that really works!

There are many types of headaches and some of them work in concert. For example, a muscle-tension headaches can increase the frequency and intensity and duration of migraine and vice versa.

Searching for the ideal pain killer isn’t the answer. For one thing, they have negative side effects and can create additional (rebound) headaches themselves. They are also toxic, especially the non-steroidal antiflammatory drugs (NSAIDS like aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.) And can cause major trauma to your digestive track, including hemorrhage. Finally, they don’t touch migraine and have only limited success in long-term cures for other types of headache.

Remember, headaches are just a signal your body is giving you that you need to eat better, rest more, get enough exercise, allow yourself pleasure, release anger and resentment and get a healthier lifestyle. Medication only masks pain and prevents you from addressing the underlying sources of your headache.

Conclusion? Like so many other diseases, a headache approach requires a multi-facted, holistic approach.

Set reasonable limits on the activities and responsibilities you can handle.
Ninety percent of headaches are due to stress or tension, according to Dr. Seymour Diamond, director of the National Headache Foundation. Tension headaches are just that—the result of too much tension. Are you just too nice? A pushover for others? If you can’t limit yourself, consider professional counseling to help you get a handle on limit setting. At the very least, set aside at least 5 minutes for you every day. Go out and smell the roses or just enjoy a sunset. Let beauty, peace and joy surround you.

Avoid foods that trigger headaches.
The most common are lunch meats that contain nitrites, fermented foods (e.g., bread, cheese, beer and wine), MSG, Nutrasweet, roasted nuts, chocolate, citrus juice, coffee and tea. You may have your own sensitivities. Start a food/headache diary, charting what you eat and your reaction to it. Eliminate the foods that precede your headaches.

Use seated massage for tension headaches.
Give yourself a neck and back of the head massage or find a friend or massage therapist. Go ahead—you deserve to be treated well. Or get your office to allow massage therapist in to help out with the stress.

Try cold for migraines.
Migraines are a result of a forceful rush of blood through dilated arteries. Hot won’t work, but soaking a towel in ice water, wringing it out and holding it to the back of your neck should provide some immediate relief. Ice cubes can work, too.

Try magnesium
This mineral is known to relax smooth muscle. Because of our depleted soils, we don’t get enough magnesium in our diets. Low ionized magnesium has been linked to migraine headaches in at least one study (Kahn, Jason, Medical Tribune, May 18, 1995, p. 7). Unless you’re eating organic vegetables, consider taking 300 mg of magnesium daily to build up your levels of magnesium (which is also good for your heart) as a preventive strategy. Older adults need 600 to 800 mg daily to help absorb calcium.

Try more B-vitamins.
In one study, people who took 400 mgms of riboflavin (a B-vitamin) decreased the severity of their migraines by 70 percent (Cephalagia, 14(5), 1994). You can take a lot of vitamins, or eat organically grown liver, chicken, peanuts, hickory nuts, soybeans, soy flour, wheat germ, whole wheat cereal/bread/pasta, fresh spinach, kale, peas, lima beans, sunflower seeds, and eggs. You can also find “stress vitamin” capsules in your health food store, pharmacy and grocery store. This is a combination of Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins.

Ingest more fish oil.
Another good reason to eat more oily fish in your meals is that fish oil has a platelet-stabilizing and antivasospastic action that has been shown to decrease migraine. If you don’t like or can’t eat fish, you can get fish oil capsules at your health food store.

Picture that headache going away.
Find a quiet and restful spot and use imagery to picture the color surrounding your headache and its location. Picture the headache turning into a soothing color. Then picture the headache turning into a liquid. Now let that liquid flow out of you and far, far away, someplace where it no longer has any effect on you.

Try biofeedback.
Children are especially good at controlling their headaches through biofeedback reports Lisa Scharff, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Learning to cool their hands by controlling blood flow results in half the children reducing their migraines to half the intensity. Check out biofeedback specialists in the yellow pages.

Check your posture and pillow situation.
Some headaches are due to poor posture, huddling over a computer screen, holding a telephone between your ear and shoulder, and sleeping with too many or too few pillows.

Try feverfew.
For over 200 years, feverfew has been used to treat migraines and has been shown effective in clinical trials (Murphy and others, Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew in migraine prevention, Lancet 2(8604):189-92). Feverfew appears to work by reducing the pain and swelling caused by the body’s release of histamine and prostaglandins. Two 125 mg capsules daily or 60-80 drops of standardized tincture are used to prevent migraines. Find it in your health food store and double check for a standardized version and suggested dose. Not to be used when pregnant or nursing and not to be given to children under two years old.

Exercise daily.
Exercise can acquaint your blood vessels to the normal sequence of dilation, rather than the inconsistent dilation and constriction that takes place with a migraine, says Dr. Seymour Diamond, director of the National Headache foundation. Physical activity also alleviates pain by increasing endorphins and enkephalins, your brain’s pain-blocking substances. Consider a daily walk, a light swim or easy bike ride as a regular hedge against headache pain. Vigorous exercise is not recommended as you can bring on an exertional headache. At the very least, stretch your neck every half hour by gently rotating your neck from side to side and shrugging your shoulders to break the tension you’re holding in your muscles.

Try aromatherapy.
A blend of peppermint and lavender essential oil may relieve stress and muscle spasms. Consult an aromatherapist or get an aromatherapy book.

Breathe deeply.
Pay attention to the way you breathe. Under pressure you’re apt to take short, shallow beaths that fail to send enough oxygen to your brain. Allow yourself time to sit quietly and let your abdomen expand and deflate as you breathe in and out deeply, breathing in peace and relaxation and breathing out whatever it’s time to let go of.

Try acupressure.
Acupressure is acupuncture without the needles. Instead, use the tips of your fingers to press on special “point” from which nerve messages fan out and relieve your pain. Press hard enough to make the point hurt a little bit. Press the points for 15 to 30 seconds. Use either steady pressure or an on-off method, slightly decreasing the pressure, but not completely removing your fingers, every few seconds. Find the bony point just behind your ear. Next, find the big muscular groove at midpoint in the back of your neck. Halfway between these two places, on each side of your neck, you will find a small groove between two large muscles. Run your thumb up it until you come to the base of your skull. Push inward and upward hard into the groove and against the bone. Another point to press is between the outer corner of your eye and the outer end of your eyebrow. Find the ridge of bone at the outer edge of your eye socket. Move a finger’s width toward your ear to a small hollow and press hard.

Homeopathic remedies may help.
Many people prefer homeopathic care because it is so safe. In one study reported in the British Homeopathic Journal, 93% of people taking an individualized homeopathic medicine experienced good results, while only 17 percent given a placebo (sugar pill) did. Try a “combination” remedy, get a self-care book on homeopathy to select the remedy most closely matching your symptoms, or seek professional homeopathic treatment.

Stop smoking.
If you’re still smoking, be aware of the detrimental effects on your circulation. Find a good stop smoking class or purchase a stop smoking program or book.
As always, be sure to share your self-care plans with your health care practitioner.

Posted by Ralph at 04:05 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org www.integrative-healthcare.org/>

As the following article demonstrates, massage for pain treatment is a good practice focus as well as a compelling topic for local press coverage.

Cape Gazette Covering Delaware’s Cape Region |Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Massage therapy serves as treatment for pain

By Karl Chalabala

Mary VonGoerres suffers from thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia and temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome. A petite woman, she worked for 21 years as a bank teller, and the repetitive stress from moving heavy boxes of change set off the host of maladies.

Her treatments involved nerve-removal surgery, steroid injections and pain management with muscle relaxers and opiates. However, no surgery could correct her problems, steroid injections became counterproductive and pain management medicines could become addictive. So twice a week she turns to the hands of Meghan Jefferson to treat her ailments.

When she does the massage, VonGoerres said, it brings more blood flow to the muscles that are in pain. It hydrates the muscles and releases the spasms. I always feel more calm and peaceful afterwards. I missed an appointment one week and noticed a serious difference in the pain.

Jefferson, a Cape Henlopen High School graduate, decided a career in massage was what she wanted to do with herself. However, she took a different path than offered in a traditional massage program.

Im more interested in disorders and pathologies, she said. I like seeing clients who have diseases. When Jefferson was in ninth grade, a scoliosis diagnosis led her to massage as a treatment. She studied for 15 months at the Pennsylvania School of Massage Therapy in Oakes, Pa. She said the school offered her a certification and in-depth courses in therapeutic medical massage that local and regional massage schools do not offer. She graduated and now is nationally certified for therapeutic massage by the American Massage Therapy Association.

A job hunt led her to Matt Carter at Quest Fitness, where she joined a team of other massage therapists. She said people do not have to be a member to schedule an appointment with her there. While she takes clients looking for relief from a rough workout or a stressful day, she wants people who suffer from neuromuscular ailments, such as VonGoerres does, to know there is a less intensive treatment for them. VonGoerres said she had referred other people to Jefferson who she knew had problems.

In addition, Jefferson also will come to an office or other similar environment and offer 10 to 15 minute massages to relieve stress.

Working in the offices, she said, youre sitting there in front of a computer with bad posture. A short massage can make the day go by better. It also improves morale within the office. Jefferson can be reached at Quest Fitness at 644-7020 or at 344-9303.

Posted by Ralph at 03:56 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org <http://www.integrative-healthcare.org/>

19.05.2009 | Author: pendergraft | Posted in Women’s Issues
One cannot fully understand what it would entail to become healthy if they would not know what health means in the first place. Health as defined by the World Health Organization is the state of complete physical, mental and emotional well being and not just merely the absence of disease.

It doesn’t mean that if you’re thin, you are healthy. It doesn’t mean that if you may look physically well, you’re healthy. There are a lot of factors that have to be considered in order for a woman to be physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy.

These are the following tips one must look into to stay physically, mentally and emotionally healthy.

Staying Physically Healthy

Eat a well balanced diet. Do not skip meals

Do not skip the most important meal of the day – breakfast. Remember, your stomach has been empty for about 11 to 12 hours. You have to eat breakfast before you start your day.

It doesn’t mean that you have to undergo starving yourself to death just so you can achieve the weight you desire (the thin look). A healthy height and weight proportion. Should be maintained. Meaning your weight has to coincide with your height.

Drink plenty of water every day. Every single day we lose fluid. We call it sensible and insensible loss. As we breathe in and out, we lose fluid, we sweat, we eliminate. Hence, we need to replenish our body on a regular basis. We don’t want our cells to shrink and die.

Exercise. Do regular exercise, be it isometric or aerobic. Rather than using the remote, get up and walk towards the television to turn it off. Take a brief short walk early in the afternoon, or take your dog for a walk. Exercise increases circulation and improves health.

Perform regular breast self-examinations. It is best to perform this after your menstrual period.

Avoid alcoholic drinks, smoking, and other vices that would harm your body.

Staying Mentally Healthy

Practice your memory. Try this from time to time. Memorize a few words and make sure you still remember those at the end of the day.

Meditate and from time to time release all the bad energy and focus on one’s self.

Stay positive.

Staying Emotionally Healthy

If you are at the brink of emotionally breaking down, cry. Don’t keep your emotions inside It is healthy to cry.

Have a support system where you can share what you are feeling. Don’t let it all get bottled up inside you.

Smile rather than frown. You age less if you smile. You age more if you keep frowning and getting mad.

Remember

Before anything else, the major point women should watch out for is the four Fs (female, fertile, forty, fair). Hence, if you fall into this category then you should be meticulous and be cautious with your health. As health is defined, it is the overall state wherein you are healthy. Physically, mentally and emotionally, you have to be healthy.

Author area:-

Florida Abortion Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Abortion Clinic in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including Florida abortion clinic, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services and sexually transmitted disease screening and counseling.

19.05.2009 | Author: pendergraft | Posted in Women’s Issues
To be able to stay physically and mentally fit, one of the advisable steps in doing so is to do some yoga exercises. Yoga exercises target both the physical and mental well-being of an individual. As you do the exercise, you are relaxing your inner being as well.

It is best and highly advisable to do these exercises first thing in the morning. At the end of the session, you would surely be able to feel rejuvenated and ready to face any challenges that would come your way.

Stay-at-home moms would usually be stuck in a daily routine of taking care of the kids, doing the laundry, cooking, groceries, cleaning the house, and many more. It is usually the back and the shoulder part that would be aching at the end of the day. However, with the yoga exercises, you would surely be able to feel the relief of tension as you start the yoga exercises.

What you need to het started

Here are the things you would need to perform yoga exercises.

1) A yoga mat, or any mat that you can lie on your back comfortably
2) A bottle of water
3) A ball (if you have one)
4) A chair
5) Pile of books
6) Face towel

Tips You’ll Need in a Yoga Session

Before you do the exercise, you must have the warm up stretches so as to avoid straining your muscles. Do the basic head to toe exercises as a warm up exercise just to get things going.

Always remember as well that in doing yoga exercises, you are supposed to be in tune with your body. You have to feel the breathing in and out of your body. You must be relaxed at all times.

To Begin the Exercise

Yoga exercises would then start with the breathing in and out technique. Holding your breath for a few seconds and then releasing it in the process. As you begin the exercise, you can just lie down on your back and just relax. Stretching your arms and legs would surely do wonders for you. Stretching your arms would relax your forearms and shoulder blades. Curling into a ball will release the strain in your back muscles. Your legs would feel relaxed and rejuvenated as you bring them close to your chin one by one. As you do these exercises, don’t forget the breathing technique that you have to follow in the process.

Be Creative

If your child has a large ball around, you can lie on it and arch your back using the ball as your balance. Feel every muscle of your body as you do these exercises. You can also use a chair as well in doing these exercises. Using it as a balance, you can stretch your back muscles. Make sure you have no back problems before you do these. Yoga exercises are not meant to be strenuous exercises. Always remember to relax from time to time.

Yoga exercises should be relaxing and at the same time a fun experience for you. That way, you will always enjoy them and look forward to making time to do these exercises.

Author Area :-
Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Abortion Clinics in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including Second Abortion Clinic , Abortions By Pill, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services.