Holistic Healthcare for Headaches

It happened again: you had to leave work early due to another headache. You feel ashamed, even though you don’t have to. You’re the one who wants the headache the least. That’s why you’ve been popping pain pills for years now, but the ordeal is taking its toll. You are sure people must talk about it. It’s beginning to affect your life beyond the pain. Your work is slipping, and you are missing out on the things you love most in life.

Maybe it’s time for a change. Headaches are among the most common health complications in the United States, yet it is also the most treatable. With both conventional and holistic healthcare, there is an array of treatments to choose from. The key is to first understand what the cause is. After that, you’ll know exactly what methods to try on your way to a headache-free life.

There are a lot of reasons that answer why you suffer from such intense headaches, which is why it’s important to see a doctor who can determine the correct course of treatment. If what your doctor has provided isn’t working, though, it’s time that you consider holistic healthcare. To neglect your condition would mean to remain under the control of your condition.

Headaches Hurt

Pain is the primary symptom of a headache and is where the condition gets its name. It is what you notice most and is why you sequester yourself to bed with the shades drawn. Pain is at best an annoyance and at worse a debilitation. Where you fall in between can change daily or be consistent, but there’s no reason to live in pain day-in and day-out. Seek help and do your research. There are plenty of ways to adjust your lifestyle and minimize the negative impact.

Headaches have a broad range of pain severity. From the mild to the splitting, headaches also take many forms. There are cluster headaches, tension headaches, sinus headaches, and migraines, but there are plenty of others that can be caused by anything from dehydration and exhaustion to nutrition and depression. In fact, with over 300 types of headaches, determining the cause isn’t always simple, which is why the basic approach to treatment that the majority of the public takes is taking pain or anti-inflammatory pills. Indeed, access to these medications makes it easier than ever for people to treat headache symptoms without consulting a professional.

When to Be Concerned

It’s easy to jump to conclusions when headaches grow persistent or intense. A quick web search will result in all kinds of horrifying possibilities that will do nothing to confirm your case and will simply stress you out. Visit a doctor if your headaches are constant, unusually severe, get progressively worse over time, or are accompanied by other symptoms such as:

• Fever
• Confusion
• Stiffness in the neck
• Slurred Speech
• Visual Anomalies
• Weakness
• Numbness
• Seizures

Any of these reasons are cause for concern and should prompt a visit to your primary physician. Furthermore, if you are having headaches after an injury, cancer diagnosis, a compromised immune system, or you’re over the age of 50, you want to inform your primary practitioner to ensure it isn’t indicative of a greater issue.

You’re Missing Out

Think of all the things you could be doing instead of suffering from a severe headache. Exercising, cooking a meal, game night with the family, or hitting the town for the evening are all activities you could be missing out on if you are cooped up in bed. Vacations cut short due to headaches will leave you feeling frustrated and short on relaxation, enjoyment, and money.

At work, your reputation may be at risk. People will be understanding for a while, but when a pattern is established, they will likely grow suspicious.

Why isn’t she seeing a doctor? some may wonder.
I think she’s faking! others will assume.

Neither of these situations bodes well for your position at any business. Even if you are seeking help, there’s only so much people will put up with before they suggest “the company takes a different direction.”

What to Do

Don’t run around in circles. Always provide proper documentation to your employer that proves you are seeking help with your condition. At home, try making decisions that benefit your health and stave off headaches via a healthy diet and adequate exercise. Be honest with your family and friends, so they can better understand what you’re going through. You want to present yourself to everyone in your life as considerate of the impact your headaches may have on them. This way, they’ll return the consideration when you suffer from one.

Open communication is the foundation of functioning relationships, so explain whatever progress or set-backs you may experience, and people will likely trust that you are doing all you can. Plus, you never know when someone you know suffers from the very same affliction. Perhaps you’ll even get a recommendation for a treatment you’ve never tried before. People genuinely want to help, but you can’t expect it if you leave everyone in the dark.

Medications Take Their Toll

The advent of modern medicine has changed the face of the healthcare industry forever. In many ways, the advancements made in surgery and pharmaceuticals are astounding. We truly live in the best time of human history. Life expectancy is higher because we possess the means to treat illness and injury in a variety of ways. The repercussions of this, however, is we have abandoned many gentler, holistic healthcare options and built a dependency on more extreme measures.

Take the use of over-the-counter analgesics, for example. The two most popular drugs are acetaminophen and NSAIDs (which include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen). With tens of millions of Americans taking these medications every year, pain relievers are the most commonly taken medications to treat headaches. While their abilities to relieve headache symptoms are impressive due to their quick onset, there is plenty that raises concerns in using them long-term.

Gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attack, stroke, allergic reactions, as well as kidney and liver damage are all leading side effects of many of the pain relievers used most regularly. Nevertheless, estimates show that 16,500 people die every year and even more are hospitalized due to problems related to the use of these drugs.

Trust Nature

These figures are no doubt due to the wholehearted adoption of these drugs as “miracle-workers.” This is in large part due to the marketing efforts of pharmaceutical companies to build a sense of trust between drug manufacturers and the general public. Their effectiveness at treating symptoms have also led to doctors relying heavily on using them to treat their patients.

Another issue is that patients are more likely to take these medications above the recommended dose, for extended periods, and take them in addition to other pain medications. They may also continue drinking alcohol while using them. This adds undue pressure to their body’s system functions.

Instead, consider turning to more holistic healthcare, with medicines that have been around since time immemorial. From being picked by ancient hunter-gatherers all the way to your grandmother’s medicine cabinet, nature has provided us with everything we need to treat what ails us. Find a doctor that is willing to trust all that holistic healthcare has to offer. They may be used on their own or to supplement your current healthcare plan. With proper guidance, you can follow a daily regimen that not only knocks out symptomatic pain, but also rebalances your body’s natural healing process, to assist in restoring you to a state of wellness.

Take Your Life Back with ICNR

Dr. Gerald H. Smith at ICNR has dedicated his career to investigating underutilized methods and techniques to treat pain and disease. His work has led to several publications and seminars, but he continues to provide consultations and clinical studies.

With the establishment of ICNR, his research can continue to further help and improve the lives of even more people. Through ICNR’s website, clients can reach out for consultations and even purchase natural products to treat your headaches. Be sure to give us a call, so we can guide you through what holistic healthcare is all about and how it can help you achieve the life you want.