Posted by Ed (Boston, Massachusetts) on 12/15/2009
★★★★★
Massage cured my headaches
I began having headaches, often debilitating ones, and even a migraine, the day after a bout of vertigo. I went to several doctors and tried all sorts of remedies over several very trying weeks, to no avail. Finally I went to a neurologist who figured out that I was having "tension headaches" caused by tightness in my neck and shoulders. The tightness was likely a way to avoid the vertigo. Within minutes of massage and gentle head movements to relax the muscles, the headaches melted away. The immediacy of the result was stunning. I followed up with several professional massages.
Posted by Lisa (Coto de Caza, CA) on 03/29/2009
★★★★★
For 15 years I had daily chronic headaches with an occasional migraine. I saw many DR's and "headache specialists". Most wanted to put me on anti-seisure meds with horrible side effects. At one point, I was on mobic(prescription pain killer) and muscle relaxants, and sometimes the very popular anti-migraine meds.
I found a "alternative medicine" center in So. Cal. who put me on a Myers' Cocktail IV with additional Magnesium. Within a few days of the IV magnesium, my headaches are gone. It's such a relief! Unfortunaltly, I have to do an IV about once a month or they come back. One side effect is that I'm very relaxed and a little sleepy afterwards. Note: I've taken LOTS of magnesium pills with no help, and have cut out all MSG and other triggers.
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 03/20/2015
★★★★★
Dear Mary,
I have used White Willow Bark over the years on and off. No one in my family has ever had a side effect. But of course, that does not mean there are no side effects. Everyone is different. Some cautions that I read about in my Herb reference books are the following:
Mark Penderson, author of Nutritional Herbology, reports of at least one instance of someone finding it to be too harsh for his stomach. At the same time, Philip Fritchey, in Practical Herbalism, explains why it is gentler on the stomach than aspirin.
Philip Fritchie, in his book, Practical Herbalism, cautions that anyone with an aspirin allergy should probably avoid White Willow because it contains Salicin, which is the precursor to acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin.)
Because of the risk of Reye's disease, aspirin is not recommended for children with the flu or chicken pox. For that reason, it may be wise to not give children white willow any time aspirin would not be recommended.
I would tend to think that because aspirin thins the blood and should not be taken prior to surgery, white willow could have the same effect. But I do not find any information that says it does. In fact, Philip Fritchey, in his book, Practical Herbalism, lists it as a remedy for internal bleeding. But I would tend to err on the side of caution and not use it a couple of weeks prior to surgery.
I hope all of that does not sound scary or intimidating. White Willow is considered very safe, and we have found it to be so. Humbart Santillo, author of Natural Healing with Herbs, offers no cautions in his description of White Willow.
~Mama to Many~
Posted by Amber (Portland, Oregon) on 03/27/2009
★★★★★
This one is so simple, I often forget how well it works. I too, have had success with drinking lots of water upon getting a headache. I've also used it for general aches in the body, or stomachaches. I got the idea after reading about 'The Water Cure' which generally stated that almost any ailment can be helped by drinking lots and lots of water. So far when I've remembered to try this, it has worked.
I've also had some successes with doing just a little bit (5-10 minutes or so) of cardio exercise for getting rid of headaches, although it sure isn't tempting to do it when the pain is on! But you would be surprised. Do not, however, attempt this if you believe you may be coming down with a cold or other illness; in that case, let your body rest.
Posted by Jc (siafulinux) (Savannah, Georgia) on 04/21/2011
★★★★★
I discovered a couple of years ago that whenever I got a headache and I drank a few cups of water, it almost always went away. I've been doing that ever since. I rarely get headaches these days since I try to drink at least 12 cups a day now.
Posted by Jan (east hartford, ct) on 03/05/2007
★☆☆☆☆
I have read with interest all of the remedies for headaches as I get them often and cannot find a cure for them. I have tried the cayenne pepper one but it did nothing for me. I have also tried the one with apple cider vinegar and honey but here again nothing happens. I don't know what else to try as I am allergic to vitamins and am sceptical of any that have vitamins included in them.I am succeptible to cold sores and why I do not have too much acidic acid as you find in fruits.I am frustrated by this dilema and my doctors, yes, I have been to a few ,are baffled by this condition also.I will always check into your site to see if there are any other cures out there.
Posted by Minni (NYC) on 04/24/2006
★★★★★
Avoidance of OR ALTERNATIVELY, WELL SAUTEED WITH WATER ADDED garlic & citrus. Also avoidance of prolonged viewing of certain Computer monitor LCDs and CRTs. Some are worse than others. Only some laptops are preferable since those contain only one CCFL tube. Some laptops contain 2 or more CCFL.
Posted by Ginny (La Quinta, CA) on 11/26/2005
★★★★★
I look forward to trying apple cider vinegar for my acid reflux but would like to pass on some headache help. My mom and I have been chronic headache sufferers for several years combined. Four months ago I bought and read "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" and changed my life. I began using "trigger point" self massage and was able to get rid of my pain meds. Not even pain meds worked on my mom so when "trigger points" worked for me, I tried them on her. They worked wonders. I taught her how to self massage and she has all but eliminated over 30 years of chronic, debilitating headaches.
Posted by Katie (Chagrin Falls, OH)
★★★★★
I know for a fact a simple way to reduce the pain in headaches is to apply pressure to your temples and rub in a circular motion, it works every time.
Posted by Tanya (Al) on 04/10/2017
★★★★★
My naturopath tools me that a headache affecting the top of the head is usually your liver. You may want to try doing liver flushes.
Posted by Tassi (Ca) on 04/05/2018
★★★★★
YES, it works. May take a little while, maybe a couple hours for full recovery, and I also did some of the breathing exercises, but drinking water is well worth remembering to try! I realized after reading here that I had not drunk much water that day.
Posted by Sasha (Melbourne, Australia) on 03/08/2010
Hi Hlw, Could you tell me what kind of pain will be helped by half a dropper full of oil of oregano under the tongue? My mother (aged 77) has tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements of the tongue, causing pain and discomfort). Her doctors can do nothing to help. She says she would be willing to try the oil.
Thanks, Sasha
Posted by Sam (Miami, US) on 06/21/2014
Re: Oil of Oregano for Headache: One should always dilute a therapeutic grade essential oil.The ratio is usually on the bottle.
Posted by Mary (Clemmons, Nc) on 03/20/2015 10 posts
Hi, I'm trying to get some information about white willow bark supplements. I had read a comment somewhere on EC that this remedy had a negative side effect but I can't remember what it specifically said. I was wondering if you could lead me to some idea about it for my own information.
I love your website and haven't contributed anything yet but have spent hours reading various pages. It's a wonderful site for people to use. Thank you so much! Mary
