June 2022

                          Self-Care for a Headache in Progress
           Adapted from Client Education Handouts for Self-Care. Information for People

(If you ever experience a sudden severe headache, especially if unlike anything you've experienced before--seek medical attention immediately! Consult your MD or other health care practitioners for any restrictions regarding your particular health conditions before using the methods below.)

1--Cold or hot packs. Put ice (or a bag of frozen peas) in a cloth and press it gently against the painful spot, or against the back of your neck. If you don't get relief, switch to a heating pad, hot water bottle, a microwavable hot pack, or a hot, wet towel, covered with plastic wrap and a dry towel or fleece to hold in the heat. (Use at a comfortable temperature to avoid a burn.) Try each for 15-20 minutes at a time. 

2--Brush your hair. Brush from the temple, moving gradually to the base of the skill. Do one side at a time. Then work down the center of your head.

3--Massage your head

• Use your fingers to make small circles on your forehead, temples, & scalp. Massage for up to 30 seconds in each spot. Use a comfortable amount of pressure
• Try this acupressure technique. With your thumb and first finger, squeeze a point near the base of your thumb on your other hand in the webbing between your thumb and first finger. Hold until the discomfort subsides. Repeat up to 5 times.

4--Also try neck massage. Reach around and cup the base of your neck with your palm. Using a comfortable yet gentle amount of pressure, knead the muscle slowly from bottom to top--avoiding any pressure on the spine.

5--Consider regular massage sessions, even if you must reduce the length of time of each session. The benefits of massage are cumulative and may act to present the development of tension that can lead to headaches.
 
Resources:
Headache Help: A Complete Guide to Understanding Headaches and the medicines that Relieve Them. Lawrence Robbins, MD, and Susan Long
An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Headaches. Robert Milne, MD and Blake Moore with Burton Goldberg.