About 80% to 90% of American adults experience at least one headache each year. Although a headache can be the result of brain injury or the symptom of another illness, more often it is caused by emotional stress that produces a tightening of the muscles in the head and neck. These contracting muscles increase the blood pressure in the head, thereby causing the pain of headache.

Most people try to relieve a headache by taking aspirin or some other analgesic drug that can alter the physiological mechanisms that produce the pain. However, there are other, more natural ways to alleviate a headache.

1. Find a spot to sit and relax, such as a private room if you are at work or a dimly lit bedroom or den at home.

2. Close your eyes and relax your brain by discarding all your current or most recent pressuring thoughts.

3. Think about the most pressuring situation in your life at the moment. Visualize a solution.

4. Pin point the pressure of the headache within your head and rest your index fingers on each side.

5. Remain relaxed in your thoughts and begin rolling your finger in a circular motion on the pressure point. Do this for five (5) minutes.

6. Remove your finger from the pressure point and place each index finger of either hand on your temples. Relax your shoulders and rest of your body.

7. Think about the most pressuring point in you life again and then visualize the solution again.

Remember, the headache is in your head and most likely comes from outside pressures. The above exercise must be performed throughout the day and into the evening before you go to bed.

If in the morning the headache persist, try the exercise again throughout the day and into the evening again. In order for the exercise to work permanently, you MUST refrain from taking aspirin. Your brain adapts to medicines and resist whatever is natural.

If you smoke or are caffeine dependant, then it could be a nicotine or caffeine headache. But if you neither smoke nor use caffeine or drink strong alcohol, then you should get your body use to healing itself. Any types of chemicals in the body making it dependant takes the body longer to discipline.

© 2003 by AfroStaff