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OH, MY ACHING HEAD!
Taming Tension Headaches Naturally
A Wellness Report by, Neva Howell
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If you're alive, you've probably had a headache at least once in your life.
Headaches seem to be a universal thing. You most probably have experienced a
tension headache, from stress, or the kind of intense but fleeting headache
that comes from eating something cold too fast. However, did you know that
there are at least 18 different causes of headaches?
We can get headaches from caffeine, indigestion, stress, alcohol, food
allergies (MSG is a big culprit here and is disguised in many of the foods
we eat), eyestrain, fever, over-exertion, dehydration, hunger, hypertension,
sinuses, menstrual problems, TMJ, muscle tension, allergic reaction to
perfumes, cleaning products, car fumes, etc., infected teeth, oral
contraceptives, or an injury to the head.
I'd like to briefly discuss the most common type, tension headaches, and
suggest some ways of working to manage tension headaches holistically.
However, whenever frequent and unexplained headaches occur, it is always
wise to seek medical attention, to rule out any underlying physical problem.
Also, if you are under a doctor's care for any known condition, you should
always check with your chosen healthcare professional before adding anything
new to your daily regimen. It is my hope that you have chosen a natural
medicines practitioner or a doctor willing to work with one to find the
right combination of natural and allopathic options for your optimal health.
Tension headaches can be caused by quite a few things, most of them
stress-related. Physical, mental or emotional stress can cause a tension
headache. Poor posture, for example, is one physical factor. Emotional
stress, unresolved anger, worry and anxiety, depression and resistance to
change can also trigger a tension headache. In addition, some food allergies
can cause them.
One note on food allergies: in the eyes of an enzyme therapist, a food
allergy is simply a food your body does not have sufficient enzyme capacity
to assimilate. I am a firm believer in enzyme therapy for helping the body
correct food allergies naturally. If you would like to learn more about
enzymes for healing, I offer a free autoresponder series called "The Enzyme
Tour". <a href="mailto:etour@webmailstation.com">CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE</a>
Just be sure to send the request from the same email address where you want
to receive the free information, as it goes out automatically.
So what can we do about tension headaches? Well, the number one suggestion I
have is STRESS REDUCTION, whatever it takes. The truth is that a lot of us,in today's fast paced world have become so accustomed to living in stress
that we don't even realize when it has become damaging to our system. So, in
order to reduce it, we first have to become more aware of it's effect. We do
this simply by noticing our body.
Breathing is effected by stress so stop right now and see how you are
breathing. If your breath is short and shallow or kind of "catches" at any
point in the in/out cycle, you are stressed. Your breathing should be slow,
rhythmic and deep. If you are continually breathing in a shallow way, you
are not getting enough oxygen to your body and this can cause a headache,
along with all kinds of little problems that, over time, can become big
problems for you sytem.
Another way to begin to notice the effects of stress is to pay more
attention to your physical body when you are in a "more than normal" stress
situation. Some things you may notice: a tightening of the muscles in the
solar plexus area, a constriction to the throat, changes in your heartbeat
or an increase in pulse, muscle pain or spasm, and even momentary blurred
vision or dizziness. When we are so focused on what is causing the stress,
we can will ourselves not to notice what it is doing to our bodies. However,
the good news is that we can also will ourselves to begin to notice.
After you tune in and see that something is stressing your body, then you
need to learn to take immediate steps to counteract the stress. How? Deepen
your breathing. Focus on constricted areas of tight muscles and mentally
send a message for them to relax and let go. Step away from the immediate
stressful situation, if at all possible, even for just five minutes, to get
yourself calmed and centered.
Helpful stress reduction exercises:
1. Get out into nature. Take a walk. Hug a tree. Put your bare feet on the
ground or, better still, in running water. Nature has a way of calming us,
bringing our rhythm closer to the rhythm of the Earth.
2. Pray. No matter what your spiritual path, if you have a belief in
Universal Life Force energy, you can find help in letting go of excess
stress through pray to the God of your knowing. Enlist spiritual help.
3. Drink more water and more often. Water is vital to the normal function of
our system, including our ability to handle stress. So drink more during
stressful times.
4. Take a good colloidial mineral I find that colloidial minerals are
amazing during stressful times, to help my body come back to balance.
5. Infuse essential oils or just keep a favorite with you to sniff. Pure,
therapeutic essential oils (and it does matter a lot that they are pure and
distilled at low heat, slowly!) when breathed in through the nasal passages,
can affect our emotional state within 3 seconds! Nothing works faster. I
like lavendar for relaxation and peppermint for those times when I need to
be more alert. Also, if you suffer from joint pains or fibromyalgia, you
might benefit from using the oils in conjunction with massage. I share a
very simple way to do that, which I call <a
href="http://www.healthynewage.com/fibroease.html">The FibroEase
Application</a>
Massage, foot reflexology and Reiki are also just absolutely wonderful for a
body under stress. Many of us consider getting a massage to be some kind of
luxury but I've come to the conclusion that most of us need regular body
work to remain at a level of energetic health. Some of you may not even know
what <a href="http://www.healthynewage.com/reflex.html">Foot Reflexology</a>
is or what it does, but I think you will be amazed if you ever have a session. I find a good reflexology treatment almost as relaxing as a full
body massage but it takes less time and usually costs less too so it may be
an alternative when finances are tight or time is short. I encourage you to
make your health enough of a priority to get regular help from a good
body-worker. <a href="http://www.healthynewage.com/reiki.html">Reiki</a> is
a form of energy healing work that is also profoundly relaxing and I find
that my mind is far better equipped to deal with a traumatic or mentally
stressful time when I have a Reiki session. Most everyone is familiar with
the benefits of massage, I believe,
No article of this type can completely cover even one kind of headache but I
hope this has given you at least a few avenues of exploration in dealing
with yours. If I may be of further assistance, don't hesitate to email me.
Neva Howell walks a path of service as a wellness counselor and spiritual
healer. She is a Reiki Master/Teacher, wellness counselor and spiritual
healer; author of "Moon Lodge Visions: An Acceleration Handbook" and Vice President of A Place of the Heart, a nonprofit spiritual center in
northeast Tennessee.
Website: http://www.healthynewage.com
Email: postmaster@healthynewage.com
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