5 Ways To Relieve Headaches or Migraines Without Drugs

Headaches can turn a successful, productive day, into a haze of pain and distraction. And for those of us who get headaches or migraines consistently, it's difficult to stop yourself from consuming over-the-counter drugs on a daily basis, just to get through your normal routine. 

But popping drugs like Asprin regularly can lead to side-effects like Chronic Overdose; a long-term build up of the drug in your body which can drop your blood-pressure, accelerate your heart-rate, and even cause fatigue, fever, and confusion.

In short: over-the-counter drugs are not a good long-term or daily solution. Instead, consider our 5 favorite solutions to beating the headache, and pushing forward with your day: 

5. Ice-Pack

This one is obvious, but it does work. Applying an ice pack to the painful areas of your head can tremendously help with pain relief. It won't cure the headache or migraine, but it will temporarily help with the distracting pain.

Try placing the pack on your forehead, temples, or back of your neck. But remember to cover the ice pack with a cloth so that it doesn't damage your skin.

Downside: Mobility is limited, as you can't always walk around the office or drive your car with an ice pack on your head.

4. Take A Shower

The combination of the heat, steam and white-noise of a shower can be fantastic for a headache. It clears your mind and body. 

Downside: Unless you've got a shower at work, this just won't fly for a mid-day migraine.

3. Drink Water / Eat Something

Busy schedules mean that for some of us, there are days when lunch just isn't an option until around 2pm. But one of the most common ways to get a headache, is simply by not eating or drinking enough. The benefits of drinking water throughout your day cannot be overstated, and sometimes carrying a snack or two in your purse or pocket can save an hour of distracting head pain.

Downside: Not all headaches are brought on by the need to nourish. Water helps, but isn't always enough to settle a powerful migraine. 

2. Massage / Acupressure

Head massages are great if you have a partner or a professional to help you out. But we highly recommend trying Acupressure for pain relief. The LI4 point (often referred to by Westerners as the Hand Valley) is located between the thumb and index finger, and has been used for thousands of years to help relieve headaches and migraines. 

Just press and hold the point very firmly for two or three minutes without releasing. This releases natural endorphins in the body that help counteract pain, and is especially effective with headaches. The great thing about this method, is that it can be done anywhere, and repeated as many times as necessary throughout the day. 

Downside: Pressing hard on your hand for two or three minutes is tiring, especially if it needs to be repeated later in the day.

1. Wearable Acupressure

Did you know that there is such a thing as Wearable Acupressure? Aculief is a device that you can wear on your hand, leaving you hands-free and able to get headache relief anytime and anywhere.

It works the same way as the previous method, applying pressure to the LI4 point, releasing endorphins to help with pain. But with Aculief you don't have to worry about pressing for a certain length of time, and you don't need to repeat anything. Just wear it on your hand throughout the day to prevent headaches. Or, just pop it on when you feel a headache coming on, and leave it on till the pain is gone!