 Headaches
There's a chill in the air. The schools and colleges are
long back, the nights are darker and thoughts of summer holidays are
fading. To many, it can all be something of a headache. Almost
all of us are familiar with the pain characteristic of headaches,
but they don't have to be an inevitable part of life.
In the
majority of cases, headache is due to muscular tension, but there
are other possible causes, such as infected sinuses, nasal
congestion, dental problems, kidney disorders, eye strain, hormonal
imbalance and blood pressure problems.
'Tension
headache' is the most common kind of head pain, with about half the
population having a significant episode at least every month.
As the name suggests, tension headaches are more likely to manifest
in periods of stress, and pain can also radiate from the neck,
shoulders and eyes.
When a person has a headache most days, this
is referred to as 'chronic headache' and accounts for the majority
of hospital referrals due to headache. The pain experienced
can vary from mild discomfort to harsh, migraine-like debilitation
and the condition is often accompanied by emotional problems
and sleep disturbances.
A leading cause of chronic
headache is overdependence on painkillers. These 'rebound'
headaches are associated with many different types of medications
such as analgesics and opiates which are often taken to relieve
headaches and migraines. It's recommended you seek the advice
and support of a medical professional when withdrawing from any form
of medication you have become dependent on.
Thankfully,
'cluster headaches' are relatively rare, affecting just about 0.1%
of the population. Though usually benign, the pain of cluster
headaches is markedly greater than other headache conditions,
including severe migraines.
Migraines are more severe and
specific than the typical headache, and may incapacitate the person
throughout its duration (typically between 4 and 72
hours). Around 15%* of the population suffers them monthly,
with three times as many females as males being sufferers. In
addition to throbbing head pain, there may also be nausea,vomiting,
visual and auditory disturbances. Migraines are usually caused
when certain prostaglandins (hormone like messengers which control
certain body functions) constrict blood vessels in the brain.
Triggers vary, and often include allergies, stress and exhaustion,
alcohol and stimulants, menstruation and
exhaustion.
Become your own private
investigator
Once other issues such as sinusitis or
dental infection have been ruled out or addressed, there are ways to
manage headaches that don't begin and end with yet another blister
pack of pain killers. The other good news is that the most
common form, the tension headache, is caused by something we can
take steps to mitigate and control: stress. Still, as there are
often no easily identifiable causes, regular headache suffers need
to conduct some detective work on themselves! See below for a
link to a useful headache diary, a good way of beginning your
investigations.
Self help for head
pain
Taking a good multivitamin/mineral
is a good place to begin as deficiencies of many nutrients,
particularly B-vitamins, are often implicated in headache. A
Medical Herbalist would prescribe herbs according to the
individual's overall constitution, the headache's particular
manifestation and underlying cause. They may typically use
relaxant and antispasmodic herbs
such as Skullcap ( Scutellaria lateriflora ), Chamomile (
Matricaria recutita ), Wood Betony ( Stachys betonica
) and Passionflower ( Passiflora incarnata
). Feverfew ( Tanacetum parthenium ) has
long been used in medical herbalism to prevent migraine and a recent
scientific study confirmed the herb as a viable preventative and
treatment.
There are many homeopathic remedies
indicated for headaches, and choosing the appropriate one is
dependent on how the headache manifests itself and what other
symptoms are present, eg Pulsatilla
for menstrual headaches, Nat
Mur for throbbing headaches and flashing lights and Kali
Bich for migraine like headaches with blurred vision.
Weleda make a mineral-based remedy specific to migraine called
Bidor, with the 1%
version for prevention and the 5%
version for relief during an attack.
Essential
oils can be helpful in managing headache, whether taken via a
bath, massage, or inhalation. Balancing oils such as Lavender
and Geranium (a particular choice for premenstrual women) can help
ease general tension, while inhaled Eucalyptus oil can help ease
respiratory congestion. As well as relieving muscle cramps and
stiffness when used in massage, a couple of drops of Peppermint oil
in a little base oil
or cream can help cool a painful forehead or back of the
neck. If the headache is associated with mental
overstimulation, a simple head massage using Frankincense in a base
oil can soothe and quieten overactive
minds.
Other top tips
Drink your 8
glasses of water, eat your 5 a day and get your 6 to 8 hours kip.
These common mantras are worth repeating and
following! Dehydration, lack of sleep and lack of regular,
nutritious meals are very common causes of
headaches.
Keep on moving. If you work
at a desk all day, it's essential that you take a break at least
every hour to stretch, even if its simply a walk to the printer,
some shoulder rotations or a trip to the loo. Resist the pressure to
take lunch at your desk and seek out a relaxing
environment.
The eyes have it.
Don't stare fixedly at that glowing rectangle in front of you (your
computer screen), your eyes need to keep moving and need regular
breaks too. Get your eyes checked regularly and investigate
wearing tinted glasses at work if you're light sensitive and have to
work under fluorescent lights. Better still, talk to your
manager about adapting your workspace so it's more amenable to your
health and wellbeing.
Avoid caffeine
overdose. That strong brew may help us get going in
the dark mornings, but don't overdo it. As well as being
associated with B-vitamin depletion in the body and nervous
agitation, an excess of caffeine can impair blood flow to the brain,
causing headaches.
Rest, relax and repair.
Our busy lifestyles may leave us feeling that there are
never enough hours in the day to do everything we're expected to,
but make a commitment to at least 20 minutes of conscious relaxation
(eg meditation, gentle yoga, breathing exercises) every day. A
small investment like that will soon make a good return in terms of
increased wellbeing and mental
focus.
Write it down.
Keeping a simple symptom diary can be a helpful tool for regular
headache sufferers and invaluable in helping identify migraine
triggers. Note how you were feeling emotionally, what you'd
been doing and consuming around the attack. Other factors,
such as exercise and weather conditions, are useful to note too. The
Migraine Trust has free online tool to help you keep your
diary.
Find what works for you. There
are many methods and therapies to soothe headaches and address
underlying issues such as tension and hormonal imbalance. Many
find relief from Medical Herbalism, Shiatsu and Aromatherapy
massage, Acupuncture and Ear Candling. Such methods as
Clinical Hypnosis and the Alexander Technique work to address the
unconscious patterns of thinking and posture associated with chronic
tension. Have a look at our therapies
section to find out more.
*Stovner LJ, Zwart JA,
Hagen K, Terwindt GM, Pascual J (April 2006). Epidemiology of
headache in Europe. European Journal of Neurology 13 (4) 333 to 345.
IMPORTANT: If your headache is persistent, unusually
severe or unfamiliar, promptly seek advice from your health
practitioner.
 Supplement of the Month: Magnesium
Magnesium is essential to all living cells. The 11th most
abundant element in the human body, it is involved in over 300
chemical processes, more than any other mineral. In
recent years the EU Recommended Daily Amount (RDA, defined as the
minimum daily amount of nutrient required to avoid a deficiency) has
been increased from 300mg to 375mg, reflecting the importance of
magnesium to general health. However, many authors claim that
about half the population of men and seven in 10 women are magnesium
deficient, with the blame put on processed food, high levels of
stress, and the overuse of alcohol and caffeine. Hormonal
contraceptives can also deplete levels of magnesium.
Because
of its wide application, magnesium levels affect many bodily systems
and health conditions. Some view magnesium as being at least
as critical to the health of our bones as calcium. Bones contain
around 60% of the magnesium found in the human body as a whole. In
conjunction with calcium and potassium, magnesium regulates heart
rhythm, helps clot blood and ensures the proper transmission of
nerve impulses. Critically important to the production of
energy in cells, muscle function and nerve relaxation, magnesium can
also be helpful in easing the pain and fatigue of conditions such as
ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia.
It's of particular concern
that the majority of British women are thought to be magnesium
deficient. As well as being useful to postmenopausal females
worried about osteoporosis, studies have long associated low levels
with PMS symptoms such as tension, breast tenderness, cramps and
mood swings.
Magnesium is found in many wholefoods such
as wild rice, millet, rye and buckwheat, dried fruits such as dates
and figs, and is often also found in seafood (both plant and animal
sources), nuts and seeds. It's also present in common
herbs such as Dandelion ( Taraxacum officinalis ),
Meadowsweet ( Filipendula ulmaria ) and Peppermint (
Mentha piperita ). Because magnesium and calcium
compete for chemical pathways in the body, the two minerals are
often combined in supplements at the optimal ratio (around 2:1 of
calcium to magnesium) to prevent imbalance. If you choose to
supplement
, take them at a proper mealtime, not with that coffee you snatch on
your way to work, as caffeine inhibits
absorption.
IMPORTANT: If you are taking any form of
medication especially heart medication, herbal or otherwise, please
consult your health professional before supplementing with
magnesium.
 Herb of the Month: Passionflower
Contrary to popular associations, none of the
500 odd species of the genus Passionflower, or Passiflora, have
aphrodisiac qualities. Rather than lust, the Passion here refers to
the suffering and death of Jesus in Christian theology. Members of
the Passifloraceae family are found throughout the world, and even
include a semicarniverous species called the Stinking Passion Flower
(Passifora foetida) which traps and digests tiny insects.
The
Passion flower which most interests herbalists however, is
Passiflora incarnata , a hardy species which has a long
history of medicinal use among Native Americans for sleeping and
nervous disorders. The popularity of the herb burgeoned in
Europe after being adopted by colonists who valued its sedative,
calming effects. Since those times, many species have been
confirmed as having certain alkaloids with antidepressant qualities
and flavonoids (special active compounds found in plants) with
antianxiety and antiinflammatory actions. An analgesic
with antispasmodic and vasodilatatory (blood vessel widening)
qualities, the herb may be useful for symptoms of an irritable
bowel, anxiety disorders and tension
headaches.
Passionflower can be drunk occasionally as a
relaxing
tea in times of stress, worry or irritation. Potters who have
been making herbal medicines for nearly 200 years also make
Passionflower tablets called Nodoff
, developed as a natural aid to sleep.
Always consult your
medical professional before taking any remedy if you're pregnant.
Legislation on the sale of herbs has changed
Due to the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive
(2004/24/EC) we are no longer able to dispense herbal tinctures
for internal use over the counter or on our website. This
means that most of the tinctures we currently sell will not be
available, unless it is recommended by a medical herbalist after a
private consultation. Medical herbalists still have
access to the full range of medicinal herbs. Dried herbs are
also affected, though we are trying to keep as many available as
possible. You can find out more information at the website of
the European
Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioner Association (EHTPA)
and at the National Institute of Medical
Herbalists .
The National Institute of Medical
Herbalists' site has a facility allowing you to find a herbalist
in your area
Cautions
and Contraindications: This newsletter does not substitute
the advice of a healthcare professional. Always consult your
GP or Medical Herbalist before self-treating with herbs and/or
supplements.
|
