There are obvious choices for managing headache pain, from over-the-counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Motrin or Aleve to beta blockers or antidepressants to prevent migraines. Prescription triptans, such as Imitrex or Relpax may help manage symptoms once they start.
If you’re looking for alternatives to traditional medication or if your medications aren’t doing all they can to manage your headache pain, however, there are natural alternative treatment methods you could try in addition to, or in place of, traditional medications.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a method of body control that uses electronic sensors to monitor body functions, including muscle tension, heart rate and blood pressure. Data on these body processes are fed back to a patient through sounds or computer images, with the goal of teaching people how to manage their involuntary bodily processes. By controlling these processes, patients may learn ways to reduce pain around parts of the body, and for some, learning how to ease tight muscles, for example, can help prevent or ease headache pain.
Studies on the efficacy of biofeedback show that it could be effective in managing migraines and tension-type headaches and can be more cost-effective over time than prescription drug therapies.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture therapy involves inserting thin needles under the skin to realign the flow of energy, or qi, in the body. A Cochrane review, or expert analysis, has found that acupuncture may help prevent acute migraines as well as traditional drug treatments and with fewer adverse side effects and risks. Further, there is evidence to suggest that acupuncture may help some people who suffer from frequent, episodic or chronic tension-type headaches.