Headaches Treatment & Prevention – Part 3

Having looked at how to describe and classify headaches & migraines in my introduction, I then moved on to look at how massage can help sufferers in part 1. Then in part 2 I looked at how nutrition and Bowen technique could help.  I want to continue to explore the impact of complementary therapies on headaches.

Cranio-Sacral Therapy

Cranio-sacral therapy is a system of alternative medicine intended to relieve pain and tension by gentle manipulations of the skull regarded as harmonizing with a natural rhythm in the central nervous system.

Cranio-sacral therapists suspect the occipito-atlanteal junction at the top of the neck may contribute to the cause of headaches especially migraines.  If the first vertebrae and the occipital condyles at the base of the skull become jammed together or fixed, which effects the vagus nerves, throwing the parasympathetic nervous system into dysfunction.  Cranio-sacral therapists report releasing the occipital condyles nearly always results in the reduction of migraines patterns in clients.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a treatment derived from ancient Chinese medicine in which fine needles are inserted at certain sites in the body for therapeutic or preventative purposes.  There is some scientific evidence acupuncture has a beneficial effect on headaches and migraines (see >> http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Acupuncture/Pages/Evidence.aspx)

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  • Mundane superfoods – part 4

    This week I explain how to replace goji berries.

    Rose Hips can replace Goji Berries

    Goji berries are renowned for having a lot of vitamin C. Originally from Asia, they were used by the ancients to replenish body fluids, improve skin and soothe jangled nerves. The bush-like plant belongs to the nightshade family of plants with tomatoes and peppers and is reputed to be beneficial for insomnia, tuberculosis and to increase testosterone. On the other hand, rose hips, contain so much vitamin C, aka ascorbic acid, they're actually known to be the most abundant source in the world, which explains why they're so sought after by many markets. It was only in the last several decades that anyone thought to consider if there might be actual nutrition in rose hips. Once used in animal food, today they're an ingredient in jams, jellies and pie, as well as soups, bread and wine. Bon Appetit adds:
    "The hips, like the petals, are high in flavonoids, those small but mighty antioxidant friends. Like nettle, rose hips are anti-inflammatory. The pectin in rose hips also make it a heart healthy medicine … "
    Mother Nature Network adds vitamins A and E to rose hips' benefits, so they can be made into tea or even eaten to help treat colds and sore throat. Because they also contain free radical-fighting antioxidants, the anti-inflammatory properties can even treat rheumatoid arthritis. The odd pods also contain pectin, which is good for your heart. Organic Facts reveals more advantages of consuming rose hips in some form, including an ability to optimize cholesterol, boost your immune system, prevent chronic disease such as cancer, regulate your blood sugar and eliminate toxins. References   Bon Appétit July 19, 2017 Mother Nature Network July 6, 2011 International Society for Horticultural Science Organic Facts 2017  

  • Does counting sheep work…

    Counting sheep is the age old method of falling to sleep, but does it really work? Those finding hard to sleep often seek distraction and some distractions work better than others, a team at Oxford University has found.   Researchers have discovered that picturing an engaging scene takes up more brain space than the same old sheep.  In addition it is easier to focus on an engaging scene because its way more interesting that sheep. Harvey and her colleague Suzanna Payne asked 50 insomniacs to try different distraction techniques on certain nights, to see which helped them fall asleep more quickly. One group conjured up a tranquil and relaxing scene such as a waterfall or being on holiday, while a second were asked to think of a distraction such as counting sheep. A third group were left to their own devices. On average, those picturing a relaxing scene fell asleep over 20 minutes earlier than on nights they didn’t try the technique. But both the sheep-counters and the controls took slightly longer than normal to fall asleep on the nights of the experiment.  The researches concluded that counting sheep is just too mundane to effectively keep worries away. If you find it difficult to conjure up vivid visulisations, aromatherapy may help.  A few drops of lavendar, chamomile or neroli essential oils may assist you to relax and unwide, and counjure up tranquil springtime fields. References A G Harvey, S Payne (2002) The management of unwanted pre-sleep thoughts in insomnia: distraction with imagery versus general distraction.  Behaviour Research and Therapy vol 40, issue 4, 267 - 277

  • Do you go home being mentally exhausted but physically full of beans?

    I know when I worked in IT I would often leave the office mentally very tired and depending upon how trying the day had been somtimes I was just mentally exhausted but often I was not physically tired.  The simplest solution to this conundrum is to go down the gym and burn of the excess physical energy and going to the gym also helps to switch off from work.   However there are times when we are injured or feeling run down when this is not possible, so then what can you do? Recently I have seen a few people in clinic who are in this situation.  This means they are stuggling to switch off from work and relax.  So  I wanted to share a few tips on how to handle this if it happens to you. Depending upon the injury you can:

    • Start taking the stairs at work - even if you can't walk up all the flights of stairs for example if you are based on the top floor, you can walk up some flights and take the lift for the rest.
    • Go swimming instead of going to the gym.
    • Get of the train or tube one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way (this obviously depends upon your commute).
    • Go for a walk in park or any type of greenery.
    • A lot of museams in London have a late night opening, so why not go walk around a museam.
    • If you have a garden, do some gardening.