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- $Unique_ID{BRK02165}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Headache Relief Without Medication}
- $Subject{Headache Medication pain killers relaxation techniques behavioral
- adjustments stress management migraine muscle-contraction cluster behavioral
- adjustments release tension inner quietness freedom distressing thoughts
- Jacobsen's progressive relaxation Biofeedback Meditation Physical exercise
- imagery physiotherapy acupuncture hypnotherapy}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
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- Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Headache Relief Without Medication
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- QUESTION: I see my husband constantly popping aspirin for his headaches.
- Complete medical checkups have found nothing, and the doctor chalks up the
- problem to the continued pressures of the work place. But I would like to
- search for some relief for him that doesn't involve so much medicine. Is
- there any way to deal with headaches without taking loads of medication?
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- ANSWER: Yes, there are some other avenues that can be explored that might
- diminish the need for pain killers, even those as simple as aspirin. Doctors
- who specialize in the treatment of headaches say they've had success with
- relaxation techniques and behavioral adjustments in the treatment of headache.
- The relaxation techniques work best when they are incorporated into daily
- living as part of stress management, so they might just do the job for your
- husband.
- Unfortunately, not all types of headaches respond to relaxation methods,
- and the results are not uniform. However, relaxation techniques haves helped
- people with both common and classic migraine, muscle-contraction headaches,
- and to a limited extent, cluster headaches.
- Relaxation used to be defined as a passive process which restored the
- body after a period of activity. Nowadays, relaxation has become an active
- process used to reduce tension. Though many people have great difficulty
- relaxing, learning the three stages of relaxation can lead to management of
- the pressures of living. The relaxation process leads to behavioral
- adjustments, helping to prevent headaches.
- The first level of relaxation involves the release of tension from the
- muscles. The second stage is an inner quietness. Many anxious, headache
- prone patients present doctors with symptoms that suggest unrest in the
- internal organs. An abnormal gurgle in the abdomen due to gas or the movement
- of fluid in the intestine, indigestion, and irritable bowel problems are
- symptoms of such unrest. The third stage of relaxation is freedom from
- distressing thoughts. This is described as oblivion to stress, pain, or
- external reality and may feel like joy or ecstasy. This is very difficult to
- achieve.
- A technique known as Jacobsen's progressive relaxation can help relieve
- tension from the neuromuscular system. It is an orderly process in which the
- patient concentrates on one muscle group at a time, moving the muscles and
- working to remove tension.
- Another technique involves focusing on many organ systems to bring about
- a heaviness of limbs, warmth in the extremities, control of heart rate,
- regulation of respiration and cooling of the forehead. This technique has
- proven useful in achieving a state of inner quietness.
- Biofeedback can also help reduce stress and tension. Meditation is
- another form of relaxation used in headache patients, and it can produce
- freedom from distressing thoughts.
- Physical exercise, imagery, physiotherapy, acupuncture, and hypnotherapy
- can also help produce relaxation and serve as headache therapy.
- Unfortunately, it is easier for a doctor to write out a prescription for
- medicine than to teach a patient behavioral and relaxation techniques for
- treatment of headaches, so you may have to search a bit for a physician who
- utilizes these methods routinely in practice. When these relaxation methods
- are used in daily living, headaches can be dealt with rapidly and effectively,
- and without undue medication.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-