Alternative Treatments for Headaches Headache Education Heal Your Headache the 1-2-3 program for Taking Charge of Your Pain By David Buchholz, M.D. of Johns Hopkins available on Amazon.com  I like this book for its description of headaches, and for descriptions of standard medical treatments. Though I prefer an elimination diet for headaches that is more plant based, as in Foods that Fight Pain by Dr. Neal Barnard, or Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman. See my web page on Diet and Headaches Meditation and Biofeedback Have Been Studied Widely in Pain and Headache The mindfulness meditation program taught by Dr. Kabat-Zinn is worth trying. He established the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  I suggest that you purchase both the Guided Meditation Series 1 (the CD) and the book Full Catastrophe Living. They can be purchased from Amazon.com or from Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s website. If you are interested in research done on this technique, visit the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness in Medicine website. Yoga or Tai Chi may be helpful in treating problems such as migraine, fibromyalgia or chronic pain. I would attend 1 -2 classes per week, and have a home practice lasting 10-60 minutes per day. Visit my web page Mind-Body Therapies for more information and resources, including links to guided meditations. Alternative Sinus Congestion Treatments Sinus medications may be a cause of medication overuse headache, or rebound headache. There is a non-medication. It involves irrigating the sinuses with salt water on a daily basis. This is not just a nasal spray of salt water, but a good irrigation. Check out the website with the video on nasal irrigation. Studies have shown a decrease in the use of common sinus medications with this technique. Nasal Irrigation as an Alternative to Sinus Medications Velcro Headband and Ice Pack for Treatment of Headaches See this web page Velcro Headband An Ice Pack Has Shown Some Use MigraCap Cooling Treatment for Migraines Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care Some people report that Chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture are helpful in treating their headaches. Accupunture is likely helpful and unlikely to be harmful. Its probably best if treatments can be fairly frequent, i.e.. couple times a week in the beginning. Go here Local Acupuncture and Chiropractic resources. Miscellaneous Other Treatments The Migraine Awareness Group (MAGNUM) has a website with a page of links of some non-medication approaches to migraines that would be helpful for patients seeking to avoid medication overuse and rebound headaches. See my web page on headache supplements as well. Linking to this website does not represent an endorsement of all the treatments they propose. It is your responsibility to verify that any new treatment you find on the internet is safe. Feel free to discuss questionable treatments with me before starting. MAGMUN Website On the Safety of Supplements If you start a supplement for migraine or any other disease, please let me know beforehand. We can discuss the possible side effects, benefits, and drug interactions. Return to Headaches

Alternative Treatments for Headaches

Headache Education
Heal Your Headache the 1-2-3 program for Taking Charge of Your Pain

By David Buchholz, M.D. of Johns Hopkins available on Amazon.com

I like this book for its description of headaches, and for descriptions of standard medical treatments. Though I prefer an elimination diet for headaches that is more plant based, as in Foods that Fight Pain by Dr. Neal Barnard, or Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman. See my web page on Diet and Headaches

Meditation and Biofeedback Have Been Studied Widely in Pain and Headache

The mindfulness meditation program taught by Dr. Kabat-Zinn is worth trying. He established the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

I suggest that you purchase both the Guided Meditation Series 1 (the CD) and the book Full Catastrophe Living. They can be purchased from Amazon.com or from Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s website.

If you are interested in research done on this technique, visit the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness in Medicine website.

Yoga or Tai Chi may be helpful in treating problems such as migraine, fibromyalgia or chronic pain. I would attend 1 -2 classes per week, and have a home practice lasting 10-60 minutes per day.

Visit my web page Mind-Body Therapies for more information and resources, including links to guided meditations.

Alternative Sinus Congestion Treatments
Sinus medications may be a cause of medication overuse headache, or rebound headache. There is a non-medication. It involves irrigating the sinuses with salt water on a daily basis. This is not just a nasal spray of salt water, but a good irrigation. Check out the website with the video on nasal irrigation. Studies have shown a decrease in the use of common sinus medications with this technique.

Nasal Irrigation as an Alternative to Sinus Medications

Velcro Headband and Ice Pack for Treatment of Headaches

See this web page Velcro Headband

An Ice Pack Has Shown Some Use MigraCap Cooling Treatment for Migraines

Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care

Some people report that Chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture are helpful in treating their headaches. Accupunture is likely helpful and unlikely to be harmful. Its probably best if treatments can be fairly frequent, i.e.. couple times a week in the beginning. Go here Local Acupuncture and Chiropractic resources.

Miscellaneous Other Treatments

The Migraine Awareness Group (MAGNUM) has a website with a page of links of some non-medication approaches to migraines that would be helpful for patients seeking to avoid medication overuse and rebound headaches. See my web page on headache supplements as well.

Linking to this website does not represent an endorsement of all the treatments they propose. It is your responsibility to verify that any new treatment you find on the internet is safe. Feel free to discuss questionable treatments with me before starting.

MAGMUN Website

On the Safety of Supplements

If you start a supplement for migraine or any other disease, please let me know beforehand. We can discuss the possible side effects, benefits, and drug interactions.

Return to Headaches