Headaches can be basically divided into two types, tension and migraine.

Americans spend more than $1 billion every year to get relief from migraines. The pain associated with migraines can be incredibly debilitating.  I have seen a number of patients who were seriously contemplating suicide because the pain was so bad.

Many of the drugs used to treat migraines are effective in relieving this severe pain and are a welcome relief. Unfortunately they do absolutely nothing to treat the cause and in fact actually contribute to the problem as after a short while they actually cause rebound headaches themselves.

This is very similar to drinking large amounts of coffee or soda for awhile and then trying to go off. If you go cold turkey off of caffeine you will most likely have a severe withdrawl headache. Fortunately, there are many natural treatment options that exist to treat migraines. These should always be considered first, as drugs to treat migraines can actually make the problem worse.

In addition to the massage and endorphin-release techniques linked above, I have been incredibly impressed with the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a type of psychological acupressure, is also a remarkably effective tool to relieve the pain of migraines.

Most migraines also seem to include a food-based reaction relating to wheat, dairy, sugar, or artificial preservatives or chemicals. Eliminating these foods and incorporating the principles of my nutrition plan frequently improves migraines.

One final, simple tip to free yourself from migraine pain -- start an exercise program. This will help to improve your response to stress along with the underlying inflammatory conditions that can trigger migraines.