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Holistic Medicine In Los Angeles

IF MISERY LOVES COMPANY, THEN headaches throw one heck of a party. In attendance: the 45 million Americans who endure migraine, tension, and sinus headaches on a regular basis. Whether they last a few minutes or a few days, headaches interfere with your work, distance you from your friends and family, and drain the joy out of your activities. According to the American Council for Headache Education, the discomfort can be triggered by stress, emotions, foods, pollution, noise, light, odors, changes in the weather, infections, hormone fluctuations--in other words, life.

Medical science offers a host of drugs to treat headaches, with varying levels of success (and risks). But there are other options for those of us who want to avoid or reduce our reliance on pharmaceuticals. These alternatives--which encompass changes in the way we move, eat, and live--will not only lessen the pain of a headache once it's started, but may keep it from happening in the first place. If you get headaches, consider these six natural approaches.

1

aromatherapy

FOR NEAR-INSTANT, LOW-IMPACT RELIEF, just follow your nose. According to Michele A. Miller, president of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, inhaling the essential oils listed below will generally ease headache pain within 20 minutes. It's easy to do yourself: Just add one or two drops to a bowl of hot water and inhale. You can use a single essential oil, or create a blend of two or three.

Eucalyptus: Great for treating sinus headaches, this uplifting oil stimulates the respiratory system.

Sweet Marjoram: Calming to the nervous system. It's Miller's No. 1 remedy for tension headaches.

Peppermint: A boon to migraine sufferers in search of cooling, refreshing relief. It can also be rubbed into the temples and back of the neck (but do a patch test on the inner elbow first to gauge skin sensitivity).

Geranium: The go-to treatment for hormone-related headaches, Miller says. As a bonus benefit, it relieves depression and emotional tension. One caveat: It's an anaphrodesiac.

Lavender: A good all-around stress reliever. Helps with insomnia, too.

2

yoga

"STRESS IS A MAJOR FACTOR in causing tension headaches," says Larry Payne, Ph.D., a Los Angeles-based yoga therapist and author of Yoga Rx: A Step-by-Step Program to Promote Health, Wellness, and Healing for Common Ailments. Yoga works by reducing the physical symptoms of stress, such as tight neck and shoulder muscles. You can use yoga as both a treatment for headache and as a preventive measure. Payne recommends starting with this simple sequence, which unwinds the upper quadrant of the body.

GET MORE HELP: The Yoga Alliance is a national organization that registers yoga teachers who have met its educational standards. To find a registered instructor, go to yogaalliance.org.

A Wing-and-a Prayer Sequence

1. Sit in an easy cross-legged position on the floor, or sit in a chair, with your hands in prayer position at the center of your chest.

2. Slowly inhale and extend your bands toward the ceiling, keeping your palms together and your eyes on your thumbs, straightening your elbows and tilting your head back.

3. Exhale and lower your hands to prayer position at your chest.

4. Inhale and fully extend your arms out to the sides, palms down.

5. Exhale, returning your hands to prayer position.

6. Repeat this sequence 8 to 10 times. Imagine your arms are wings, and that with each "flap" you're flying farther and farther away from your headache pain.

3

the feldenkrais method

CREATED BY AN ISRAELI PHYSICIST to ease the pain of his own knee injury, the Feldenkrais method helps people move in a free-flowing way that reduces joint pain, boosts flexibility, and expands range of motion. "A common type of headache is a tension headache, which is the result of tightening the neck muscles," says Sam Nelson, a certified Feldenkrais practitioner in Rochester, N.Y. "This tightness restricts the flow of blood to the brain, resulting in a headache."

Feldenkrais lessons teach you how to recognize the presence of excess tension, and release it through simple movement. As tension dissipates, vessels become less constricted, proper blood flow to the brain resumes, and pain disappears, Nelson explains. He designed this mini lesson to allay tension headaches, though it may even derail a migraine if you do it before nausea sets in. Don't use this method if you have a sinus headache--you'll feel worse, not better--and don't force any movements. Pause between exercises with the head in a neutral position. To finish, alternate looking up and down a few times. Slowly stand, then walk around for a minute.

Tilt your head back as far as it will comfortably go, and look up.

Hold the position and open your mouth; you may feel your head drop back a little.

Close you mouth. Repeat this sequence 2 more times, then return to neutral.

PAUSE

Tilt your head as far forward as it will comfortably go, ad look down.

Open your mouth; you will likely feel your head drop forward slightly.

Close your mouth. Repeat this sequence slowly 2 more times.

PAUSE

Tilt your head back. Hold the position and look down, moving only your eyes.

Look up, moving only your eyes; your head will probably drop back a bit.

Look down again using only your eyes. Repeat this sequence slowly 2 more times.

PAUSE

Tilt your head forward, and look down.

Stay in this position and look up, moving only your eyes.

Look down again; your head will likely drop forward a smidgen. Repeat twice more.

END

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GET MORE HELP: Find a practitioner through the Feldenkrais Education Foundation of North America (feldenkrais.com).

4

ayurveda

PRACTICED IN INDIA for over 5,000 years, Ayurveda employs diet, herbal remedies, meditation, gentle exercise, and yoga to maintain a state of optimal wellness. According to ayurvedic medicine, the five elements of nature--water, earth, fire, space, and air--present themselves in the human body as three forces, or doshas. When in balance, each dosha expresses certain positive qualities: vata (liveliness, enthusiasm, creativity), pitta (focus, energy, ambition), and kapha (stability, groundedness, calm). Everyone has a blend of all three of these qualities in varying degrees. The trick to maintaining good health is to understand your constitution (to find yours, take the quiz at chopra.com/doshaquiz.asp), and live in ways that best support it.

"Keeping the doshas in balance is what prevents headaches," says Nancy Lonsdorf, M.D., medical director of The Raj, an ayurvedic health spa in Fairfield, Iowa. A rata imbalance contributes to tension headaches, a pitta imbalance can trigger migraines, and a kapha imbalance may lead to a sinus headache. To get a handle on your own aching head, follow these suggestions.

TENSION HEADACHES occur when the system is overstimulated, and activity-governing vata goes out of whack. Staying up too late, driving too much, and multitasking to excess create imbalance. To find harmony--and prevent tension headaches--try keeping a regular schedule, going to bed early, managing your stress with the help of yoga or meditation, and avoiding a too-busy schedule.

If you feel a tension headache coming on, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons of almond, sesame, or olive oil to just above body temperature. Apply this to the flat of the hand, and gently massage your head and neck. Don't press too hard into the muscles--simply move your flat hand in circles up and down the neck and along your shoulders. Then lie down, apply a hot water bottle to your neck, and relax until the pain eases.

MIGRAINE HEADACHES result from an imbalance of pitta, which is related to digestion and metabolism. Pitta is associated with heat, and an imbalance can cause a burning sensation in the head as well as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light--symptoms of a classic migraine. To restore stability, consume cooling foods such as mango juice, milk, rose water, or a juice made from zucchini, celery, and a small amount of sweet apple. Avoid sour foods that aggravate pitta, such as fermented foods, cured meats, vinegar, and alcohol. Also, choose organic foods, as pesticides and preservatives aggravate pitta. Also, splash a few drops of cold water into your eyes throughout the day.

SINUS HEADACHES develop when kapha is out of balance. Kapha governs the body's lubrication system, including congestion-producing mucus. Cold worsens a kapha imbalance, so restore harmony by avoiding cold air, foods, and drinks. Choose hot, spicy foods, wear a hat outdoors, and don't drive in a convertible. Keep the body warm by drinking a quarter-cup of pure hot water every half-hour. When sinuses are clogged, inhale steam mixed with a few drops of eucalyptus oil.

GET MORE HELP: The American Institute of Vedic Studies (vedanet.com; 505-983-9385) offers a wealth of information about Ayurveda, and can refer you to a qualified practitioner.

5

traditional chinese medicine

TCM MANAGES HEADACHES according to the symptom pattern they cause, explains Wei Liu, an associate professor at the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Bloomington, Minn. For example, the wind heat pattern's symptoms include splitting pain, red face, red eyes, thirst, constipation, dark-colored urine, a red tongue with a yellow coating, a rapid pulse, and a fever or aversion to warm temperatures. This pattern might be treated with acupuncture and the herbs actractylodis (bai zhi), ligustici wallichii (chuan xiong), and chrysanthemum (ju hua).

Unlike most Western medicine, TCM assesses the entire body, not just the headache. "The biggest difference is that TCM views the body as a whole system," says Liu. "It treats people naturally, and usually there are no side effects." It also emphasizes prevention through acupuncture, herbs, and gentle exertion. "TCM teaches people how to prevent headaches through different exercises, such as tai chi or qi gong," Liu explains.

To benefit from the healing power of acupuncture or herbal therapies, you'll need to see a professional. But you can try this easy acupressure technique, recommended by Michael Reed Gach, author of Acupressure for Emotional Healing and Acupressure's Potent Points: Find the ropy muscular cords that run up each side of the back of the neck. Place your fingertips on the outer edge of these muscles, about I inch from the center of the spine. Tilt your head back slightly and, with your fingertips on your upper neck, gradually press underneath the base of your skull. Using your thumbs, apply pressure on these two points, pushing inward and slightly upward, "as if you were pushing underneath your skull and into your brain," says Gach. Maintain the pressure for two or three minutes, or until you feel your headache pain start to diminish.

GET MORE HELP: The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can provide you with a list of board-certified practitioners in your area. Visit their Web site at nccaom.org, or call 703-548-9004.

6

supplements

VITAMIN, MINERAL, AND HERBAL supplements can alleviate migraines at least as well as drugs, declares Alexander Mauskop, M.D., a neurologist and director of the New York Headache Center in Manhattan.

One of the most effective treatments is magnesium, which may be involved in the control of pain receptors. "Half the people with migraines are deficient in magnesium," says Mauskop. It is especially useful when taken in combination with vitamin [B.sub.2] to promote energy use and nervous-system function.

In addition, the herbs feverfew and butterbur are often successful in preventing migraines, Mauskop says. The active ingredient in feverfew is parthenolide, which inhibits a protein that plays a role in the inflammation process. (The inflammation of arteries in the brain is a contributor to headache pain.) Meanwhile, a study published in December 2004 in the journal Neurology found that taking a butterbur supplement reduced migraines by about So percent. (Raw butterbur extracts can contain carcinogens, which are filtered out of commercial products, so avoid homemade versions.)

Mauskop also finds that some patients respond to supplementation with coenzyme Q10, a substance that every cell in the body uses for maintenance and growth. It also acts as an antioxidant, which protects cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Supplements take time to work, but it can't hurt to start immediately.
Buy them separately, or look for combination products such as
MigreLief, which combines magnesium, vitamin [B.sub.2], and feverfew.

SUPPLEMENT                        DAILY AMOUNT

Magnesium                         300-500 mg
Vitamin [B.sub.2] (riboflavin)    400 mg
Coenzyme Q10                      100 mg 3 times a day
Feverfew                          100 mg
Butterbur                         75 mg (as Petasites extract)
                                  twice a day

GET MORE HELP: The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has an excellent herb guide on its Web site at mskcc.org/aboutherbs.

Illustration by JOSE LUIS MERINO

COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications
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