You don't have to take painkillers for headache relief, assuming it's an everyday, garden-variety headache. (See the bottom of this page for a list of headache red flags that shout "call a doctor--now!".)

Massage can be very effective in relieving and preventing headaches, especially tension headaches. (If you live in the Tacoma-Olympia-Seattle area, I offer a massage and energy-healing treatment especially for headache prevention and relief. Clients almost always leave with their headache reduced or completely gone.)

There are also many natural home headache remedies that you can try at home to relieve a headache. I use them myself and have found all of them to be useful at various times.

This article will show you how to use acupressure as a headache cure.

Or learn how to use your breath for headache relief on this page.

Learn about using essential oils as a headache remedy here.

You can learn some face, head and neck exercises to relieve tension headaches on this page.

Find out just a bit about dietary approaches to avoid migraines here.

Finally, discover how to use heat and cold to help reduce headache pain.

Ridiculously Simple Headache Home Cures
Both dehydration and abrupt caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches--so have a glass of water and make sure you didn't skip your morning cup of java before you move on to more involved headache relief remedies.

A Book
You may want to get the book Heal Your Headache: the 1-2-3 Program by David Buchholz, MD.

This headache specialist believes that nearly all headaches are migraine phenomena, caused by dilation of the blood vessels in the head and neck, and that they can be significantly helped by a program that includes avoiding dietary triggers and "quick-fix" pain medications.

Warning! Red Flag Headaches: See Your Doctor Immediately
The following symptoms are signs of potentially serious, even life-threatening health problems. Please call your medical doctor immediately if:

• you experience extremely intense head pain (i.e. it feels like the worst headache of your life)
• the headache comes on very suddenly and severely (like a "thunderclap")
• your headache is accompanied by mental confusion
• your headache is accompanied by unusual symptoms such as passing out, loss of vision, or difficulty walking or speaking
• your headache is accompanied by a high fever (over 100 degrees F) and/or stiff neck
• you are over 50 and the headache is a new kind of headache for you
• your headache was preceded by head trauma
• you have a family history of brain aneurysms.

I hope these pages help you find some effective natural techniques for headache relief.

However--these pages are meant to provide home-care techniques for every-day headaches. They are not meant to replace the advice and care of a medical doctor. Please call your medical doctor if you have any "red flags" or any other concerns about a headache.

Go from Headache Relief to Tacoma Massage Therapy Home Page.