7-Day Pain Prescription

Day 7: Headache Pain

Nearly 9 out of 10 women report problems involving tension headaches. Here are three headache remedies for morning, noon and night.

Morning Headaches: Morning tension headaches occur because, during sleep, muscles are inactive and blood vessels can stiffen. When you wake up, blood pressure spikes to give you the energy you need to start the day. This can result in the pressure surge behind a morning headache.

Solution for Morning Headaches: Stretch before you get out of bed each morning:

• Knee-to-Chest Back Stretch: While in bed, pull up your knees one at a time, all the way up to your nose if you can. Otherwise just bring your knees to your chest. This relaxes your lower back, improves blood flow, and helps you wake up gently.
• Cobra: Now lie flat on your stomach while still in bed. Press your hands under your shoulders and stretch yourself up, keeping your hips on the bed. Push to the sky, stretching your lower back. This allows your heart to relax and the whole-body stretch gets blood circulating. 

Noontime Headaches: These are commonly caused by stress that creates tightened muscles in the head or neck. Too much stress over time actually makes the pain areas in the neck more sensitive.

Solution for Noontime Headaches: De-stress by adding spices to your lunch. Try each of these throughout the week:

• Ginger helps reduce inflammation.
• Turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory.
• Red pepper flakes contain capsaicin, a natural pain reliever.

Nighttime Headaches: Headaches occur at night due to stress that has accumulated throughout the day.

Solution for Nighttime Headaches: To conquer these and/or to prevent headaches from occurring the next day, drink hibiscus tea. It will help you to unwind while also preventing morning tension headaches.