***Tension Headache Relief

Headaches can be a very serious issue. If you have a headache for more than a few hours, you probably need to seek professional help. If you have headaches several times a week you may have a serious condition that needs to be treated more aggressively. For most people, headaches are caused by tension in the neck and shoulders.
There are many therapies to help this condition. First, I always feel great after a massage with a cream or oil that has the proper essential oils. For a soothing massage oil, visit our website at http://www.herbalvista.com.
I also use herbs in teas as an alternative to over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs. You may want to try valerian and hops as an evening tea just before bed, or maybe some passionflower with liquorice roots to sweeten it.
I have found a tea of passion flower or valerian and hops, is great to help relieve tension and relax the muscles. There are more recipes in the back of this book. I have to mention again that if you are having frequent painful or prolonged headaches, please see a health care professional, such as a holistic
or naturopathic doctor.
Scullcap is a powerful medicinal herb; it is used in alternative medicine as an antispasmodic, antiinflammatory, slight astringent, emmenagogue, febrifuge, nervine, sedative, and is a strong tonic. Some valuable constituents found in the plant are Scutellarin, Catalpol, other volatile oils, bitter iridoids, and tannins. Scientific studies are proving this to be a valuable plant in many areas. A tea infusion can be used for nervous headache, neuralgia, and headache arising from incessant coughing, and associated pain. The tea can also be used to induce sleep when necessary. However Scullcap should not be used on a regular basis as there is a possibility of toxic buildup, as Scullcap is a very strong herb.
Caution: Pregnant women or women planning on becoming pregnant in the near future should NEVER use Scullcap as it might induce a miscarriage. Pregnant women should never handle this herb in any form.
Try a tea of 1/8th teaspoon of scullcap in a cup of hot water. Let it steep for about five minutes. Use some licorice root to sweeten it while you drink.
Note: When you blend your teas, be mindful of the interaction of the herbs and any medication that you are taking. For example do not mix aspirin with an herbal mixture containing willow bark, since they both contain salicylates which is a blood thinner, which could cause uncontrolled bleeding.
Stay away from processed sugar as that increases anxiety and puts an additional workload on the body.
Processed sugar is actually on the poison list at the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Everyone has seen a child or adult on a sugar rush and then crash. It is not a pretty sight. Processed sugar is addictive and poisonous.
Exercise: If you cannot get to a massage therapist, then you may want to do some neck and shoulder stretches. There are videos about doing yoga at your desk. You may want to try some of the moves below to relieve the tension in you neck and shoulders.
First turn you’re head to the left and then to the right. Only turn to the point that it starts to hurt. If you are in pain you have turned too far. Now do this slowly a few times. Now look up and relax the neck muscles. Again if this is hurting, ease back until the pain goes away. Now slowly drop your head into your chest. This should stretch the muscle in the back of your neck. With your head down in your chest, gently rub the back of your neck and shoulders.
Do this a few times and feel the tension melt away. You can do this anytime, several times a day. A word of warning: if you drive for a living, such as a taxi or truck driver, please pull over to the side of the road before you do this exercise.