Care for Headache

Steps to Better Headache Care

Living with headaches can be very difficult, but most people can be helped if they get good medical advice.

Here are some ways you can find relief, without medication:

Keep a diary and record
Apply an ice pack to the painful area of your head. Try placing it on your forehead, temples or the back of your neck.
Take a warm bath or shower; take a nap; or take a walk.
Ask someone to rub your neck and back, or treat yourself to a massage.
After taking medication for a headache, lie down in a dark, quiet room until the pain subsides.
Apply gentle, steady rotating pressure to the painful area of your head with your index finger and/or thumb. Maintain pressure for 7-15 seconds, then release. Repeat as needed.
Take drugs only as recommended by your physician. Do not use them more often or in higher doses than your physician advises. Do not stop taking them without consulting your physician; some drugs must be gradually withdrawn to prevent unwanted effects.
Rest, sit or lie quietly in a low-lit room. Close your eyes and try to release the tension in your back, neck, and shoulders.
If you have excessive muscle contractions in the neck, physical therapy exercises performed daily are often helpful
If you miss a dose, it is generally best to take it as soon as possible unless it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose. Do not double doses.

Creams useful in Headache Care

Creams are more complicated to make. It would be easier to choose a favorite bland cream over the counter and add aromatic oils or tinctures as you wish. If you want to try a cream, try the following recipe.

Rosemary cream
8 parts oil
1 part beeswax
a few drops essential oil
Gently heat oil and beeswax together in a bowl set in a pan of water. When wax has melted, add essential oil and pour into pots immediately.

Greasy ointments like this are generally not considered to be good for skin conditions such as eczema, where they inhibit healing and trap heat, but they are suitable for applying as muscle and joint rubs. Their advantage over liquid preparations is that they don't drip on the floor. A cream such as the one described above could be used to make a vapor rub to help sinus-related headaches.