Headaches – Stopping Pain in the
Throbbing Noggin!

Headaches can be explosive or passive in nature. They may start out with a dull throb but then spread quickly like a wild fire! You may feel like your brain is getting ready to explode, but it’s not the gray matter that’s causing the pain. When the blood vessels and the surrounding muscles of the head and neck get irritated, they fight back by making your head feel like a bongo drum.

Everyone gets a splitting headache every now and then. In fact, more than 60 million people in the U.S. alone have experienced a severe headache at least once and about 25 million people suffer from
frequent ones.

Types of them vary and are typically either Chronic, Tension, Migraine, or Cluster. They happen for various reasons at various times and are a major cause of days missed at work.

Hypersensitive trigger points found in the neck and shoulders can also cause them. The trigger point T3, (Trapesius 3), can be the culprit as well as the Suboccipital Muscles. The suboccipital's have been called the ‘ghost headache muscles’ because pain referred from them seems to penetrate the skull. All suboccipital muscles attach to the bone on C1 and C2 (Cervical Bones 1 and 2 respectively) and are responsible for most all head movements. Tension headaches are often caused by inflamed trigger points in the upper Trapezius muscle. (on top of the shoulder)

Remedies are very individualistic. What works well for you may not work well for someone else. The best advice is to check your symptoms, choose your headache, and pick your fix. There are some preventative measures you can take to help prevent them or treat them when you do get one.

Throbbing Noggin Pain Prevention

1) Stop Gritting! - If you clench or grit your teeth often, you may be causing your own pain. Most people instinctively grit their teeth without self-awareness. You should keep your mouth and lips together but your teeth apart to prevent head 'aches'. If your teeth are not clenched together, you must be relaxing them. (Clenching teeth can cause referred pain from your Temporo-Mandibular Joint.) (TMJ)

To prevent clenching and force relaxation of these muscles, rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth with the tip of the tongue resting right behind your upper row of front teeth.

2) Stop Biting Your Nails! - Any oral fixation facilitates throbbing vessels by creating tension in the jaw. Chewing gum, sucking on pens and licking your lips will all contribute to a head pain. 3) Take Two! - Taking two or more Advil or other forms of Ibuprofen, can reduce pain and inflammation quickly. Advil gel caps work very quickly to enter the system and can be a tremendous help when it comes to pain. 4) Sleep Right! - Sleeping on your stomach can cause your neck muscles to overextend. Over time, you can build up pressure on the muscles that help hold the head upright. If you’re waking up with a headache, it might be time to change to sleeping on your side or your back. 5) Change Your Pillow! - When you don’t have a good pillow that supports your head and neck when you sleep, you are setting yourself up for more pain. Find a good pillow that has memory foam or is specially formulated for head and neck support. A good pillow should fill in the hollow of the neck between the tip of your shoulder and the bottom of your head.

6) Ice, Ice, Ice. - Although you may want to reach for that heating pad, studies have repeatedly shown that ice is best for vascular pain and inflammation. (migraine and Cluster) Icing your head, neck, and shoulders can really help. If you don’t have a gel pack or an ice pack, you can use a bag of frozen peas or corn. They work just as well.

Ice treatments are especially beneficial for those headaches that are caused by muscle, nerve, and joint irritation. Cold anesthetizes the nerves that are causing the pain. For vascular pain, ice reduces inflammation. Heat exacerbates it!

On the Other Hand:

7) Use Heat! - While ice is best for vascular pain, heat is recommended for tension pain. Use a hot water bottle or a heating pad at the first signs of a tension. Heat helps relax tensed muscles. (Hot tubs and Steam Baths also work well!)

8) Stay Away! - Trigger foods can add too headache pain. Alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, and dairy products which produce excessive phlegm, are all contributors and triggers. (Ice cream is a very well known trigger). Women should be especially careful too, around their menstrual cycle. Stay away from these trigger foods during that time of the month if you have a history of frequent head ache pain.

9) CH-CH-CH - Changes. Be prepared for menstrual changes. Women who suffer from menstrual headaches should be sure to get their Calcium and Magnesium supplements. Menstrual changes deplete the body of these two minerals, which help act as muscle relaxants and prevent the tightening of your blood vessels.

Recommendations are to take 400 mg of Magnesium and 1500mg of Calcium before your period starts. Continue taking supplements throughout your cycle. Don’t take extra Magnesium however, if you have heart or kidney problems.

10) Keep a Diary. – Each time you get a headache write it down. Record all the details of your day. A diary can help you identify your headache triggers.

11) Drinking and Smoking – Even though you might be tempted to take a drink to ease the pain, or light up to stave off an aching head, smoking and drinking can actually restrict blood flow and cause dehydration. Better to take a walk around the block and drink lots of water to increase hydration. People who are dehydrated are 10 times more likely to get them.

12) Take a Nap! - If all else fails, take a nap and try to sleep off the pain. You'll need at least a few hours for sleep to be effective. If you want to feel better faster, take some Ibuprofen before napping.

13) Rub it Out! - As mentioned above, trigger point pain can refer pain to your head. A sore or painful shoulder or neck can facilitate pain. To get rid of the pain, rub them. If you find your shoulder hurts worse than your neck, then find T3 and rub that area.

To locate T3: Run your hand along the opposing top of the shoulder. You will feel the base of your neck, your muscle, and then a bone. The location of T3 is midway between the base of the neck and the bony protrusion. If you feel a KNOT midway, then this trigger point needs rubbing out to relax it, or simply use your fingertips to 'dig into it'. If it hurts when you apply pressure, you can bet that's referring pain.

You can also use applied pressure to diminish it. I usually have my son use his forearm and apply pressure to the trigger point when I'm sitting and he's standing. I also find it useful to stretch my neck out while he's applying pressure.

This works very well and helps loosen up those muscles that are referring pain to your head!

There is also a pressure point that's located in the web of the hand, in between the thumb and the first finger. Find it. Massage this area to alleviate your throbbing head. It really works well too!

If you suffer from migraine headaches, here are some triggers and some relievers to consider.

Possible Migraine Triggers

* Tyramine:

Triggers: amino acids and vasodilators

Found in: aged cheese, wine, chocolate, smoked, cured, or pickled meat, processed meats, tofu, some fruits and vegetables such as eggplant, avocado, bananas, and raspberries

* Food Additives: Nitrites, MSG:

Triggers: preservative that excites neurons and has been linked to the onset of migraines; research is inconclusive.

Found in: Chinese food, cheese powders such as Dorito's, Campbell's soups, potato chips, frozen meals, and some salad dressings

* Aspartame:

Triggers: artificial sweetener that research has linked to onset of migraines, though mechanism is unknown. Some believe it's linked to serotonin. It's been shown to cause neurons to fire spasmodically, burning out neurons.

Found in: diet drinks and foods

* Alcohol -- contains Histamines

Triggers: histamines stimulate the immune system

Found in: wine and beer, some cheese, beef, pork, bananas

Migraine Relievers

* Omega-3s:

Action: important for brain function, also have anti-inflammatory and nerve-protecting actions

Found in: salmon, oily fish, some nuts, tuna

* Ginger:

Action: mild anti-histamine and has an anti-inflammatory effect; ginger inhibits blood vessels from swelling at the onset of a headache and nerves are instantly relieved of pressure.

Found in: ginger cookies, muffins, tea and can be added to stir-fry

* Vitamins and Minerals:

Vitamin B2 / Riboflavin

Action: Some studies have shown them to reduce the frequency of migraines, though not their duration or severity; also linked to the efficacy of beta-blockers, drugs used to prevent migraines

Found in: liver, almonds, soy nuts, shellfish, milk and dairy

* Magnesium:

Action: helps to relax blood vessels and maintain normal nerve function

Found in: wheat germ, beans, soy products, seafood, dark green leafy vegetables, milk

* Caffeine -- may cause or relieve headaches

Action: increases the absorption of some headache medications, bringing about relief more quickly. Too much can cause anxiety, sleep problems and muscle twitching.

Found in: tea, coffee, headache medications, chocolate

Tips to Prevent Migraines:

* Keep a diary of events and foods surrounding migraines; identify patterns and experiment with dietary and activity modifications.

* Don't skip meals; episodes of hypoglycemia are linked to the onset of migraines.

* Exercise

* Sleep: Getting too much or too little can trigger migraines

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