# Help! Need some relief!



## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

I have struggled for a long time with neck pain/tightness and headaches. I was on some medication the doctor gave me but it just made me sleepy, didn't really take care of the problem. I do a lot of stretching and try to get decent sleep. I have tried massage and acupuncture although I do not have the money to continuously get either of those. Wondering if anyone knows of any herbs or teas or anything that could help me out?? Thanks!!


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

Right up at the base of your skull, radiating up and out like a fan kind of headache? 

Posture - do you have a desk job? all the body parts need to be 100% vertical or 100% horizontal - 90 degree bends at the hips, knees, shoulders, elbows, and the bend in the neck (your nose should be on a 90 degree line from your spine). This helped me quite a bit. Raise or lower your chair or keyboard or monitor to make that all work. 

I find flat pillows help me, too, and a rice sock. Put about 3 cups of dry rice in a tube sock, knot it off near the top. Heat in a microwave for 1-2 minutes, wrap around neck, up where it's tight. You can use corn, wheat, oats, any dry grain. 

And then - chiropractic care. I still go regularly (every 6 weeks or so) but a few initial adjustments really did the trick, and helped me maintain correct posture. Mine is a Palmer School graduate, and very very good.

I also used accupuncture, which was wonderful, and worked very well with my chiro care, but she moved to Colorado. 

I hope you find relief!


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

Try Arbonne's Herbal Muscle Massage Pain Relieving Gel. It is a Ben Gay type analgesic lotion with hot peppers in it and works great. I get those type of stiffness related headaches too. What I do is put the lotion on my neck and shoulders, put on a sweatshirt with hood and work out to get a good sweat going. Then a hot shower. And this gel will keep working the next day even after a shower. I used to use Icy Hot but this stuff is much better. I am not a big Arbonne fan otherwise btw, but my wife orders from them. You can find it on ebay too.


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## anahatalotus (Oct 25, 2012)

Sometimes a shot of apple cider vinegar with the mother in it will get rid of a headache for me. Another thing to consider is if it is caused my muscle tension it could be due to a slight mineral imbalance. For instance lack of magnesium and selenium can cause neck or jaw pain. Also the herb feverfew is good not only for fevers but for headaches as well. The goal of holistic treatments should never be to stop the symptoms but instead to find the cause and treat the cause which will result in elimination of the symptoms.


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

Chixarecute said:


> Right up at the base of your skull, radiating up and out like a fan kind of headache?
> 
> Posture - do you have a desk job? all the body parts need to be 100% vertical or 100% horizontal - 90 degree bends at the hips, knees, shoulders, elbows, and the bend in the neck (your nose should be on a 90 degree line from your spine). This helped me quite a bit. Raise or lower your chair or keyboard or monitor to make that all work.
> 
> ...


The headaches are pretty constant and persisting. They start as neck pain and gradually move up to my head and wrap around and then turn into migraine type headaches with nausea and sound/light sensitivities. 

I am actually a massage therapist. I am constantly on my feet and bending over a massage table and using my hands and arms a lot. Posture has always been a tough battle for me. I do receive chiropractic care every 2 to 3 weeks and occasional massage (used to get massage regularly but it didn't help).


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## Esprit (Dec 17, 2011)

While I still get the odd head/neck ache usually caused by muscle knots, my pain decreased dramatically when I stopped eating foods with commercial flour/wheat. My wife now bakes with organic wheat and I feel ALOT better. If I cheat, my neck hurts and it radiates to the side of my head and lasts for a few hours. 
Todd


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## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

I'm another one to suggest acupuncture. I can't afford it either. DD is seeing a Chiropractur; he treats w/a method known as Atlas. She explained it. Probably google search would explain better. However, a visit costs $140; ins reimbursement was $30. So, there goes that idea.


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## Carolinablue (Jun 6, 2014)

Tmama said:


> The headaches are pretty constant and persisting. They start as neck pain and gradually move up to my head and wrap around and then turn into migraine type headaches with nausea and sound/light sensitivities.


I can tell ya I've had the exact same issues, been quiet a few years ago now though. It was allergies for me. Did the shots for a while but that got to be more trouble than it was worth. I just take claritan now everyday year round and when the pollen gets real bad or if I'm gonna mow hay I'll take two a day. My doctor says I shouldn't take two, but he ain't the one with the stuffed up head. That I still get quiet often, but don't have the headache much any more. Another thing that would set it off would be a big change in barometric pressure.


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## DianeKidman (Jan 10, 2013)

I struggle with these things myself, and in my case, I know exactly what causes it. The top vertebra in my neck (the atlas) is tipped. A chiropractor can adjust it, but it's been out of whack my whole life. Which means it goes right back out of place in a matter of a day or two. I finally stumbled on the Accuball, which is a special ball developed by a chiropractor. Been using one every day for maybe five years now. I'm able to keep things lined up. If you can afford to get to the chiro and keep up with it, then definitely go that route because it's the most effective and safest. But if you can't, you could look into the Accuball. I believe they have videos online, etc., that would probably help you figure out whether or not it's an option for you.


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