One of the things I wanted to focus on in launching Thirty-Three Six, the holistic wellness component of LifePlan, was headaches, as they are one of the physical challenges I experience in my own life.

If you read my story, then you know I experienced a week-long migraine that led to an onset of Bell’s Palsy (known as facial nerve paralysis) 10 years ago. That experience led me to go beyond Western medicine and explore many Eastern and alternative therapies to address the causal factors and symptoms of both the headaches and the palsy.

Maybe you suffer from headaches, too. If you do, you know that they can be annoying, exhausting, and even debilitating. The most common types of headaches are tension and migraine. Though they have different root causes, they often respond well to similar treatment.

Below I have listed the top 5 alternative methods for headache relief. Many of these methods will prevent headaches as well as help to stop headaches that are already in progress.

Stress Management

Both tension headaches and migraines can be triggered by stress (I know a lot of my own headaches have been stress-related). Stress management activities can help you to get relief and prevent future problems. Activities such as meditation, tai chi and yoga can promote relaxation and relieve stress.

You may also benefit from looking at your schedule and working to get rid of as many stressors as possible. Sometimes just saying no is the best way to manage stress.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is another powerful tool for headache treatment. Biofeedback is a process of learning to increase relaxation using a simple machine for feedback. There are different types of machines, but one of the simplest versions emits a high pitched sound.

As you relax and slow your breathing and pulse, the sound gets lower in pitch. This gives you the feedback to know that you’re getting into a state of relaxation. You can train your body to become more relaxed and get headache relief.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a Chinese medicine practice of improving energy flow throughout the body. This is done by inserting thin needles just below the skin in specific points. This is a great treatment for headache pain and can also prevent headaches. But it’s important that it be done by a trained and licensed professional.

I am a big proponent for acupuncture, as I related in my personal journey. Acupuncture was the treatment method that enabled me to recover from Bell’s Palsy. While I still experience residual effects from time to time, I would not have made as much progress as I have without acupuncture. And it helped to reduce my frequency of headaches and migraines!

Massage

Massage can be beneficial for both migraines and tension headaches. Massage helps to relieve tension in muscles and reduce the physical effects of stress on the body. You leave a massage in a state of relaxation that helps to both prevent and relieve headaches.

Massage also helps to improve circulation which is particularly important for vascular headaches like migraines. If you can get a monthly massage, you’ll find that it works wonders.

Essential Oils

Aromatherapy is another way to stimulate relaxation and reduce pain related to headaches. Ginger, lavender, peppermint and chamomile essential oils are particularly helpful when it comes to stress reduction and headache relief.

You can diffuse the oils or add them to a warm bath for the benefit. You may also try adding a drop of the oil to the area of your head that is causing the most pain.

Which One Will You Try?

I know there can be some reluctance to try new treatment methods for headaches—I’ve been there. There’s a fear of the unknown (I had to work through my fear of needles to be able to reap the benefits of acupuncture), as well as the belief that nothing can cure headaches. If this is true for you, I hope you can overcome those negative thoughts and consider exploring some of the methods mentioned, and reap the rewards that can come with alternative headache treatments.

I would love to hear from you about your own headache story and how you treat them. You can also share with me if you’ve tried one of the methods mentioned above, and what the experience was like for you. Share your thoughts and comments with me in the section below.

Your partner in holistic headache pain relief,

James

Interested in partnering with me to create your personal holistic headache recovery plan? Then check out the Thirty-Three Six Wellness page and get all the details to get started.

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