Treating Your Own Headaches
You don't necessarily need a doctor's prescription to treat your headaches. Here are some ways you can find relief, without medication:
- 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.
- Apply gentle, steady rotating pressure to the painful area of your head with your index finger and/or thumb. Maintain pressure for seven to 15 seconds, then release. Repeat as needed.
- 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, it may be helpful to perform physical therapy exercises every day.
Occipital neuralgia is a neurological condition in which the occipital nerves -- the nerves that run from the top of the spinal cord at the base of the neck up through the scalp -- are inflamed or injured. Occipital neuralgia can be confused with a migraine, or other types of headache, because the symptoms can be similar. But occipital neuralgia is a distinct disorder that requires an accurate diagnosis to be treated properly.
Read the Occipital Neuralgia article > >
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