No More HeadachesEliminate headaches without medication

As you learn to not have headaches, it is likely that you will still experience headaches. Though the blessing of a quick shift may happen for some, others may take longer. While you experience each episode, there are several strategies that can reduce headache pain. As you learn and apply various techniques, it is important to develop your own unique methods. Make physical adjustments where necessary and do what you need to do.

When I feel a migraine initiating, I take the following steps: Quiet the Mind; Breath deep; Relax muscular and body tension; Allow pressure/pain to release and fade. It may sound simplistic, but each was a skill that required practice. In a sense it is like rebooting a computer, including the clearing of memory. Instead of continuing to move towards a condition of headache, I take direct action to move into a condition of balance and peace.

When it is time to address an oncoming migraine, begin your new routine immediately. A typical response to migraine pain is feeling guilty about leaving a social situation and waiting until the pain is so severe that you have to go. Perhaps you sneak away for a quick pill and try to immediately reengage. Whatever your tendencies, make a decision to alter your preliminary headache behavior by becoming aware of your habitual routines and then making changes.

I know it is not easy. When the triggers are activated and pain begins, it feels like an attack. Here comes another one. You begin to prepare yourself for the onslaught of pain. Some may seek isolation, others seek medication. Your body knows what to expect as you have done this many times before. Some people have experienced thousands of migraines and the routine has become habitual. Changing your reaction routine is a necessary element in reducing headaches.

In all likelihood there were rampant thoughts for a period of time prior to the onset of headache. Thoughts of worry or doubt or resentment may be repeating in your mind. You may be asking yourself countless questions, none with a direct answer. These thoughts are like fuel for the mind chatter that increases headache pressure. Concerns about getting a headache at the wrong time are often self-fulfilling. Whatever thoughts are swirling in your head, the buildup of pressure ultimately leads to pain.

Learning how to quiet your thoughts can play a critical role in the headache cycle. If you can resolve or dismiss the mind chatter before the headache even begins, you may avoid another episode. If it is too late and the headache is already underway, quieting the mind becomes critical. As you experience a headache episode, raise your awareness of your thoughts and how they contribute to your condition.

Once a headache has begun, it is not a good time to question why. The frustration that you feel awakens inner conflict and the pressure increases. Don’t beat yourself up because you have another headache. While you may question or doubt your progress whenever a headache occurs, it is possible to learn more about yourself each time. Knowing that you can apply this knowledge to aid your healing can give a positive flavor to the episode. Yes, it sucks to have another headache, but at least I can gain one more insight that will help me heal.

The more you think, the bigger the headache. Allow your thoughts to rest for a while. Avoid trying to resolve conflict. It helps to develop an empowerment statement that you can recall at these times. Examples could be ‘I accept that my body requires my full attention.’, ‘Nothing else is more important at this moment than my personal well-being.’, and/or ‘Today I will learn more about how my body creates a headache.’

Shift your attention to your breathing. Take long slow deep breaths. People experiencing pain tend to take short shallow breaths. By taking a long slow deep breath you are increasing the oxygen in your blood and shifting focus from pain to healing. When you inhale, count slowly and continue inhaling until you reach four. When you exhale, count slowly to four and continue exhaling. In between inhale and exhale, hold still and count to two.

Pay attention to your tension. Often when headaches occur there is matching body tension contributing to the process. Many people hold stress in the muscles of the upper back, shoulders, neck and jaw.  When muscular tension increases, the flow of blood and energy is impeded. There is usually a difference between where the pain is felt and where the blockage is.  Understanding this point is critical to alleviating headaches. 

Shift your focus from the point of pain to the feelings of your entire body. When we react to pain everything changes. The neck and shoulders tense, the breathing becomes shallow, your knees may rise into a fetal position. By paying attention to what is going on with your entire body, small changes can move you towards pain reduction. Seeking balance for the entire body is more effective than trying to fix a specific point.

When we feel pain, our automatic response is to pay attention to it. Our survival instinct requires us to check out the pain to see what is wrong. Unfortunately with headaches it seems as if nothing is wrong except for the pain. Part of the pain response loop includes attention. When we focus on pain we are more aware of it.

I remember as a child, we would often joke with someone who had hurt himself. If a boy was holding his sore hand and complaining, someone would step on his foot and say ‘See, you are not worried about your hand anymore.’ While we can apply this concept, such drastic measures are not required when shifting focus from headache pain.

I have a tendency to carry tension in my upper back and shoulders. In particular there are two large muscles on either side of the spine just below the collarbone. When I feel tension in this area, I find a corner of a wall and lean against it. If I position properly, the pressure from the corner is directly onto the tense muscle. Leaning back on the muscle and breathing deeply can help release tension. If more pressure is needed, I move my feet further from the wall, increasing the angle of my body and increasing the pressure on the muscle. This exercise not only feels good, it helps shift attention from the head to the shoulders.

A major contributor to headache pain is internal pressure developed through thoughts and emotions. Unless this pressure is released, pain could result. Sometimes the pressure is a result of difficult conflicts, other times it results from holding a specific perception of a situation. When we reach this point, a decision can be made to keep adding to the internal pressure or to relax and let it go.

The secret is not to ask questions but to seek answers. The more you try to figure things out, the more confusing and frustrating it can get. Instead, allow your mind to be quiet and wait for information to present itself. Empty your mind and shift your focus to the balancing of your entire body. Fulfill the role of observer as well as participant. Pay attention to your posture and your breathing. Relax your muscles, quiet your thoughts and let the pressure dissipate.

The key objective of personal empowerment is gaining the ability to manage and influence your headaches. While eventually you can learn to stop migraines at the beginning of the cycle, sometimes it will be too late to consider prevention. Instead, you may have to deal with migraine pain once again.

The consistent migraines that many people experience are an indicator of what is going on in their lives. Mental conflict is one of the key factors driving headaches. If one’s life is full of mental conflicts and migraine headaches, perhaps some changes would help. If you want to change to reduce the pain of headaches, the best time for your work is when you don’t have a headache. Change your overall state of being and eventually the headaches can fade away.

Transformational Exercises

Practice deep breathing and quieting the mind at a time when you are relaxed and feeling good.

Prepare empowering statements that help you move in a positive direction.

Make a decision to really observe what your body and mind go through when a headache occurs.

Reward yourself for your progress.

Copyright 2008 Glenn Stewart Coles