Oh, My Aching Head
Frequent headaches can be caused by a vast variety of things! It is important to know and understand what is triggering your headaches, and what type of headache you have. So first and foremost... if you have frequent headaches, see your physician. Pain is a warning sign and is there for a reason. If you make the pain go away and ignore the signal, you could let something that could be treated turn into something that is much more difficult or even impossible to treat.
So... with all that out of the way, let's talk first about the types and causes of headaches... Migraine, Cluster Headache, Stress, Sinus, Allergies... or just the plain old run of the mill headache. If you've been to the doctor's office about your headaches, you are probably on medication for the pain... medication that makes you groggy, and sometimes doesn't work. You could, however, add a little self-hypnosis or reflexology to your treatment regimen and make your headaches completely manageable.
Tension Headaches: This is the most common type of headache... and did you know that they are mostly caused by the muscles in your shoulders and neck? These type headaches can be brought about spontaneously, or because of stress at work, sitting at a computer, poor sleeping habits and so on.
Migraine Headaches: The most common myth is that these headaches are psychological - not so! They are biochemical in nature and are also genetic. You will usually get some type of "visual" warning sign, sometimes no warning at all... and they are often accompanied by nausea.
Cluster Headaches: Not so affectionately nicknamed the "suicide headache"... I guess that tells us a lot about this type of headache! This headache is usually found around the eyes or in the forehead and can occur several times in one day. They are rare and severe!
There are three completely drug free ways that I work with for these types of headaches... 1) Hypnosis, 2) Imagery, 3) Reflexology. All three ways are extremely effective. The hypnosis technique is quick and easy... I simply use the "Ruler" method for your every day, run of the mill headache. Using the ruler method, simply close your eyes... imagine a ruler... the ruler is numbered from 0-10... there is a sliding red arrow just below the numbers... the arrow is associated with your level of discomfort... imagine yourself pushing that arrow down... the arrow points at lower and lower numbers... your discomfort will lessen the more that arrow points to lower numbers... each time it drops to a lower number, lock it into place there so that it cannot slide back up... (end)
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