| There are many new migraine headache | | | | of it. They pour it onto their food with wreckless |
| treatments available that can be both safe and | | | | abandon. And too much salt can and does cause |
| effective. Natural treatments for migraine | | | | headaches. What's the solution? Simply lessening |
| headaches are usually safer and cheaper than | | | | the salt intake can sometimes prevent the |
| traditional pain medications. And in many instances | | | | headaches from occurring. |
| they can relieve pain just as well or even better | | | | Food sensitivities have also been shown to cause |
| than prescription or non-prescription drugs. The | | | | migraine headaches in some people. Foods such as |
| possibility of a negative reaction to a safe and | | | | cheese, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate - a |
| natural migraine headache treatment is still there, | | | | food additive), yeast, wheat, nuts, avocados, |
| but it is less with most natural treatment | | | | beans, bananas, oranges (and other citrus fruits), |
| methods than it is with pain-relieving medications. | | | | pork, vinegar (and pickled foods), dairy products, |
| Every person on the face of the earth is unique. | | | | caffeine, chocolate, onions and others can cause |
| Their body chemistry is different than anyone | | | | migraines. Foods that cause migraine headaches |
| else's. One person may find relief from their | | | | are called "migraine triggers." People who |
| migraine headaches with one type of treatment | | | | experience migraine headaches because of food |
| while someone else may try that same | | | | allergies can reduce or eliminate their pain by |
| treatment and find no relief at all. No two people | | | | eliminating the foods that cause the headaches. |
| will experience the same reaction from the same | | | | It sounds simple, but it takes a little detective |
| treatment. But why is that? | | | | work to figure out which foods, if any, are |
| Every body is made up of a mixture of chemicals. | | | | causing the migraine headaches. So how can you |
| Every person produces certain chemicals in their | | | | determine which foods are the culprits? The logical |
| body so that they will be able to function at their | | | | way is to keep a diary of what you eat and |
| best. Histamines will increase gastric secretion and | | | | when. Get a small notebook, with each page |
| dilate the capillaries. Insulin is secreted by the | | | | representing one day, and make three columns |
| pancreas and helps regulate the blood sugar levels. | | | | on each of the pages. The first column on the left |
| Hormones are produced by the body for many | | | | side of the page will contain the hours in the day. |
| different functions. Adrenaline (epinephrine) is | | | | The second column down the middle of the page |
| produced in response to stress. Every body is | | | | will be a list of the foods eaten that day. And the |
| unique and produces different chemicals in | | | | third column on the right side of the page will list |
| differing amounts. When a person takes aspirin (a | | | | the symptoms (headaches) that you experience. |
| chemical) for their migraine headaches it changes | | | | Here's how the food diary works: if you had an |
| the chemical make-up of that person's body. | | | | orange, cereal and milk for breakfast at 8 AM |
| You've always heard that when two chemicals, in | | | | you would write "orange, cereal, milk" in the |
| the same amounts, at the same temperature, | | | | middle (food) column directly to the right of 8 AM |
| etc. are mixed together they will cause the same | | | | in the left (time) column. Make a note of |
| reaction. That may be true, but when one | | | | everything that you eat on this list and at what |
| chemical (such as aspirin) is taken by two | | | | time you ate them. |
| separate people their reactions will never be | | | | Next, whenever you experience a migraine |
| exactly the same because no two people have | | | | headache write "migraine headache" or "headache" |
| identical chemicals in their body. One person taking | | | | in the right (symptoms) column that corresponds |
| aspirin will not have the same reaction as | | | | with the time (in the left column) your headache |
| someone else taking aspirin. And it's the same | | | | began. For example, if you started feeling pain |
| with natural migraine headache treatments. Since | | | | from one of your migraine headaches at 2 PM |
| no two people are identical no two people will | | | | you would write "headache" in the right |
| respond exactly the same to a treatment | | | | (symptoms) column directly across from 2 PM in |
| method for migraine headaches. | | | | the left (time) column. |
| So just because one migraine headache | | | | Once you've had enough time to experience a |
| treatment does not work for one person does | | | | few migraine headaches you will be able to |
| not mean it won't work for your migraine | | | | examine your food diary to determine which |
| headaches. There are many effective alternatives | | | | foods you ate shortly before you began |
| to taking medications when it comes to relieving | | | | experiencing your pain. For example, if you had 3 |
| migraine headaches. You just have to try one for | | | | migraine headaches over a one-month period, and |
| yourself to see if it will work for you. | | | | you had milk shortly before each of the migraine |
| One natural and popular treatment method for | | | | attacks, milk may be the culprit. It may take a |
| migraine headaches is chiropractic care, or | | | | few weeks or even a few months to come to |
| chiropractic manipulations. Studies have shown | | | | any conclusions, but over time, by figuring out |
| that over 80% of headache patients find some | | | | which foods or ingredients in these foods, are |
| type of relief for their headaches with chiropractic | | | | causing your pain, you will be able to eliminate |
| treatment. And chiropractic treatment has been | | | | these ingredients and relieve your pain caused by |
| shown to be extremely safe. Spinal problems | | | | these foods. |
| cause headaches and when these spinal problems | | | | Probably the most common cause of headaches |
| are treated by chiropractors a high percentage of | | | | is just plain old stress. People who experience |
| their patients experience relieve from their pain. | | | | tension in their lives can get headaches from their |
| Another natural way to relieve migraine | | | | increased tension. Stress can be caused by many |
| headaches is biofeedback. This is a safe and | | | | things including work-related stress or |
| potentially effective way to eliminate pain. | | | | family-related stress. And although it's not always |
| Biofeedback is not actually a treatment, but a | | | | possible to eliminate the cause of the stress it is |
| training program designed to help a person | | | | often possible to relieve the muscle tension and |
| develop the ability to control their autonomic | | | | pain that originates from the stress. |
| (involuntary) nervous system. Functions that are | | | | Biofeedback training (as explained above) is one |
| normally automatic in the body, such as blood | | | | way to help reduce stress. Other ways are taking |
| pressure regulation or heart rate can be controlled | | | | a warm bath or shower, lying down and relaxing |
| voluntarily. This technique makes it possible for a | | | | in a quiet dark room, having someone massage |
| person to control their own heart rate, blood | | | | your neck and head (temporal region) muscles to |
| pressure, skin temperature or relaxation of their | | | | help relieve your tension and muscle spasms or |
| muscles. | | | | placing something cold (ice) on the back of the |
| It's no secret that stress causes muscle tension. | | | | neck (at the base of the skull). When using ice it |
| And nobody will deny that muscle tension causes | | | | should not be placed directly on the skin. Some |
| pain and headaches. And it's also a fact that by | | | | wet paper towels that have had the water wrung |
| relaxing this muscle tension, especially in the neck | | | | out of them should be placed between the ice |
| and head, it is possible to relieve the migraine | | | | and the skin. Regular exercise can also, over time, |
| headaches or neck pain that is being caused by | | | | reduce tension. |
| the tension. With biofeedback the machinery is | | | | We have discussed 5 natural treatment methods |
| not always necessary. Once the biofeedback | | | | that are available to migraine headache patients. |
| technique is learned there is no longer any need | | | | They are all considered safe and are effective for |
| for the equipment. The patient with migraine | | | | many people. There are many other natural |
| headaches can now produce the desired effect at | | | | treatment methods out there for you to try. If |
| any time. A person that has been trained with | | | | you have headaches it may be beneficial for you |
| biofeedback can control some of their bodily | | | | to try some of these treatments or search for |
| functions, such as muscle relaxation, which can | | | | others on your own. But as a word of advice, it is |
| help relieve their headache pain. | | | | always a good idea to talk with a chiropractor or |
| Another cause of headaches can be the intake of | | | | medical doctor before treating yourself for a |
| too much salt. Some people just can't get enough | | | | health condition. |