Some people are loners and they don’t want anyone entering their space. Their opposites are people who want to collect everyone together and share. They are ‘we’ people. It is a most difficult thing for one to understand the other because they don’t think alike.
Loners want to be asked if they would like to do something. They may have reasons why they’d prefer not to, but they want to be given a choice. ‘We’ people want to be included because to them it means that you care. They’ll change their plans to accommodate yours just so they can share.
This means it’s difficult to help T people until they decide to help themselves. You can try to organise them, include them in your plans, but if you haven’t consulted them first, your efforts will be in vain. Don’t you worry about it: they don’t.
People who love company create it. They search out things to do. They’ll ring up charities to ask how they can help. They’ll find the column in the paper asking for helpers. Potential loneliness is replaced by constructive and loving sharing of their experience, time and generosity.
Solo people find it hard to socialise and make friends. It takes determination to join an organisation that caters for your special interests, or become involved in a class where you will learn something new, while meeting people of similar interests. To make a friend you must first be a friend. Act friendly and helpful so potential friends will be attracted to you.
Depending on the circumstance, I would advise taking water violet, impatiens, agrimony, mimulus, chicory or heather. A combination of five is recommended to be taken whenever you are overcome by loneliness.
*130\19\2*
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
Much of your pain is self chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquility:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen, And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.
Emotional pain is very real and has an enormous effect on our immune system. Our physical and mental health is dependent on our emotional wellbeing, but that is not to say that illness is mostly psychosomatic as some would have us believe.
Emotional tension affects our physical health, causing colds and infections, muscular aches and pains. Stress can bring on symptoms like headaches and stomach pain, which if not
alleviated can develop into ulcers, or something worse.
Our immune system is also vulnerable to destructive thoughts, so it is of little value for us therapists to do everything we can to help you achieve physical health, if your mind is a mixture of negative emotions. These will deny you the possibility of healing.
Therefore, it is important to look at attitudes when emotional blockages are causing pain and high blood pressure. Life can be joyful. Stop and think about the emotional pain in your life and ask yourself what you can do about it.
Understand that emotions are part of the energy of life, and how we use this energy dictates our health profile. We can use it or abuse it. For our better understanding, we could ask ourselves, ‘What is the symptom preventing us from doing? What is the symptom making us do?
The mind controls the rush of adrenalin which is stimulated whenever a stress situation occurs. This gives us a choice of fighting for survival, or fleeing for our lives — whichever we think appropriate at the time.
That sudden surge of vitality gives us an immediate ‘high’ and this feeling can become addictive. The problem is that this is a reaction to stress, be it a good stress (playing sport to win) or a bad stress (fear for one’s life). The aftermath is an excess of adrenalin in our systems. We feel breathless; our muscles are all shaky; we must sit down before we fall down.
Do this too often and we approach adrenalin overload, resulting in blood sugar instability. Our healing mechanism begins to suffer, resulting in a ‘burn out’ situation or what is properly termed adrenal exhaustion. In acupuncture our pulses read acute deficiency in the water and wood meridians.
One cure is a long holiday, however, when, over a period of years, we allow stress to infiltrate our every waking moment, our internal dialogue (what we say to ourselves) sets the scene for health disaster.
No wonder we do things such as smoke, drink alcohol to excess, choose poor eating habits – which can shorten our lives. Fortunately, we often get a subconscious message, an excuse, to slow down and reassess our lifestyles.
Sadly, some people become desperate and suicide, having decided that death is better than the life they are leading. They don’t necessarily jump over a cliff. Heart disease, cancers, high blood pressure leading to strokes and severe accidents are all ways that the unhappy mind decides it is easier to go.
Our thoughts are so powerful. Many books have been written on the power of the subconscious mind. When people with life-threatening diseases decide that perhaps life is OK now, because the drama of the situation has demanded a radical change in attitude and lifestyle, they can and do create spontaneous remissions of their health problem.
It takes a conscious effort to decide that life needs fun, joy and laughter. We must put ourselves in the position of finding fulfilment in our lives. Our ‘inner child’ has to be accepted, loved and helped to grow in wisdom and understanding. This may require attention from people skilled in these areas and/or concentrated study.
Our lives are our own. We really do have total control and can’t blame anyone else for what does or does not happen to us. The responsibility must always ultimately rest with ourselves. What we think negatively or positively today will be our future. We have control yes, even over wealth, not just health.
It works like this. If you crowd your mind with one thought, be it good health, happiness or despair; ‘Nobody loves me’, or ‘I’m going to win that race’, or ‘pass that exam’ or become ‘famous’ or ‘wealthy’ then it will happen if you take appropriate action. But watch for the internal talkback that says, ‘But I know I’m not good enough.’ Negative thinking will reverse your positive decisions.
Whatever you think, it’s true for you because you believe it. And, having loaded the thought with lots of energy, you’ve created your reality. So, why not change the thoughts that don’t work for you any more? Most of our thoughts necessary for our survival were created when we were young, but now as adults, we need to revise these, particularly if we are suffering pain.
All healing modalities treat emotional as well as physical pain, because you cannot separate the component parts. That is why natural healing is called ‘total or ‘holistic, therapy. No matter which therapy you decide to adopt for your particular problem, it will have a complementary effect on your structural, biochemical and emotional situation.
Chiropractic and osteopathic adjustments to the spine affect the central nervous system, thereby relieving not only physical pain, but also the side effects of the tension and stress which affect nutrition and sleep patterns. Many is the time that a patient comes in saying that they’re feeling a bit headachy, but the real problem seems to be emotional stress. They feel out of sorts, down in spirits, not their usual self. Tears may be present and offence is easily taken, whereas normally they would cope quite well.
If the cervical spine is out of alignment, then their nervous system is also upset. The situation is often resolved just by adjusting the spine for the headache. By treating the physical, the emotional is often corrected at the same time. This is a common occurrence in practice and all practitioners will tell you the same story.
However there is a special chiropractic therapy called NET (neuro emotional technique) which recognises that when a trauma happens to you, the shock is absorbed by the injured muscles, and this is frequently the cause of chronic pain. In this technique, the emotional component is treated along with the spinal injury. If only the physical injury is attended to, then the sprain can and does recur because the memory lingers on in the muscle. In this way, we can unwillingly complicate a physical complaint with an emotional overlay. NET releases the emotional stress at the same time as the adjustment for remarkable recovery from chronic pain.
We hold thoughts from childhood that no longer work for us as adults. Some of these beliefs are about our bodies. In therapy it has been noticed that structural injuries are usually accompanied by subconscious thoughts that stress the physical frame.
Here is a recognisable list with an appropriate affirmation to counteract the underlying thought:
Neck pain: I am willing to turn to other points of view and alternative solutions
to a problem. I now have a more flexible attitude to life.
Shoulder I accept my responsibilities with pleasure. I will image my problems pain: as being light and effortless. I
Arm pain: I embrace my life with love and joy.
Hand pain: I hold the secret of life in my hands.
Back pain: I am emotionally supported by life itself. I allow love to flow down
my spine and warm me.
Chest pain: I allow love to relax and release the crushing feeling in my chest.
Hip pain: I carry myself in perfect balance through life.
Knee pain: I kneel in respect and love before the beauty of
God’s kingdom and bless my flexibility.
Foot pain: I stand grounded in security and sureness of my position in life. I
accept and deserve my space.
General I reaffirm that my body is the correct place for me
body aches to be. It is the perfect vehicle for me to move
and pain: through life successfully.
These affirmations need to be repeated to yourself several times a day for a month before they become effective in the subconscious. Write it down often and also write your emotional response each time.
*116\19\2*
When filled with waste material these pockets in the bowel can be extremely painful. They inflame and can become infected. Acute abdominal pain certainly needs medical intervention.
Pockets (colon sacs) that are difficult to clean out are effectively washed out with colonic therapy. If you can give yourself a gentle enema (of warm water only), it would save you much pain. People seem to have a fear about washing the bowel. Professionally done there’s little to worry about. (See also Constipation, page 172)
Changing to a diet devoid of fatted milk products like cheese will help greatly. The low fat cheeses like ricotta are best and prevent mucus forming in the bowel lining. Yoghurt, fat reduced, is good for the microflora of the bowel.
Chamomile tea is soothing and peppermint tea with alfalfa does wonders to settle the bowel. Vegetable juices should become a regular part of your diet. A daily carrot, apple and celery juice keeps the intestine sweet.
Brown rice, wholemeal bread and pasta, potatoes dry baked in the oven or microwaved, fruit and vegetables with low fat meats and fish are all good for this condition.
Fluid intake is important to flush the colon. Diluted vegetable and fruit juices are necessary. Reduce tea and coffee dramatically if you have this problem. Your food and drink is your therapy. Eight glasses of fluid daily should be consumed.
Any problem concerning the bowel deserves a check of the lumbar spine and pelvic girdle for interruption of nerve supply. Acupuncture can tone the area and provide relief.
*102\19\2*
The story goes like this: ‘It hurt for a few days, but then the pain went. Now I seem to have a problem breathing or it’s catching me in my ribs.’
Have an adjustment now or the story changes again a few weeks later. The next complaint will be a stiff neck or headaches. This is what happens when a lower back injury compensates over a period of time. The treatment has then to reverse the spinal misalignments in the same order in which they occurred, and this takes a longer time.
Immediate chiropractic/osteopathic care can save you time, money and suffering in the long run. Ignore an injury and the suggested medical treatment of anti-innammatories for weeks can cause stomach ulcers or even lead to surgery. Complications from these therapies can ruin your life as they are usually irreversible.
Complications to simple spinal adjustments occur when the patient’s condition shows that the injury has re-occurred at a previous site of pain. These neglected spinal sprains over the years add up and make what should be an easy task a more lengthy procedure.
You see now why you are constantly being told that if you have an injury, don’t wait to see if it ‘goes away’ and the pain subsides: come and seek help while the adjustment is simple.
*88\19\2*
Fair, fat, forty, fertile and flatulent? These are the ingredients they say are responsible for gall stones! I don’t agree about the fair and fat, as we meet all hair colours as well as sizes with this condition.
The gall bladder stores the bile made by the liver. The bile leaves the liver by a duct. If the salts in the bile combine with cholesterol to form gravel or stones, there is pain.
When I was pregnant I passed a small stone one night. It wasn’t amusing as I had to sing the next day and couldn’t take a deep breath because of the pain. It took a few hours to pass and if it wasn’t for acupuncture I wouldn’t have won that coloratura soprano championship.
The experience has taught me to be wary, and I give myself a special fast for two or three days to clean out the gall bladder. All naturopaths know what you have to take to make it safe. Large stones have to be treated medically.
Dandelion leaves stimulate the liver and when eaten often in a salad will help to reduce cholesterol levels. Dandelion coffee is delicious (some brands better than others). Stay off fats and away from French restaurants. When in Europe, take along a grapefruit to help digest the oils, and include the humble artichoke in your diet when possible.
Nausea from bile congestion is very successfully treated by homoeopathic chelidonium majus and berberis vulgaris. Just a few drops in water and that sick feeling after eating goes!
Vitamins E and C, with an increase in the polyunsaturated fatty acid intake in safflower oil, will help to reduce the cholesterol content of the bile. We also give a good liver ‘pump’ a type of massage technique that drains the gall bladder too.
False gall bladder pain-That may sound very funny, but not to those people who are still suffering from pain after all the tests are done and the ultrasonic readings prove false. Nearly always, it turns out to be a spasmed psoas muscle which requires a special technique for its release.
Sometimes it is complicated by a twisted pelvis as well. Definitely a chiropractic/osteopathic speciality. Treatment is simple but very effective after the patient has suffered weeks of unnecessary pain.
A lady treated with this problem was a fifty-five-year-old golfer who was picking up her grandchild incorrectly. She swore it wasn’t caused by her golf swing!
*72\19\2*
Like any of the other emergency conditions, temporal arteritis is too dangerous to waste time trying complementary therapies. Any delay in giving steroids to someone suffering from temporal arteritis may result in permanent blindness. If you suspect that you are suffering from this condition, consult your doctor, or the emergency services immediately.
Following the illness, you may benefit from some complementary therapies, to reduce the fear of recurrence, and the stress involved in any frightening illness, and to stimulate your body’s ability to heal itself, and read well to the medical treatment you are receiving.
Acupuncture, acupressure and reflexology, will reduce the headaches that accompany stress, anxiety and fear. All offer relaxation therapies.
Rejuvenating aromatherapy treatments would include massage, baths or vapourisation with: sandalwood, frankincense, jasmine, rose, lavender and neroli. There are also oils which will deal specifically with your symptoms, whether they are persistent headaches, depression, lack of energy or general pain. Consult a registered practitioner for a customised programme.
A good vitamin and mineral supplement will help restore a weakened system, and royal jelly is a good all round nutrient source.
See the section on strokes, for more ideas about dealing with post illness symptoms
*76\20\2*
‘Ihere is no alternative to proper hospital care for those who have had a head injury severe enough either to knock them unconscious, or give any of the symptoms described earlier. If you’ve been knocked out, you will need twenty-four hours’ observation. On the other hand, minor degrees of head injury and superficial bruising can be successfully treated with all sorts of therapies.
Acupuncture can help when there is local muscle spasm, and soft-tissue injury. It is especially effective for pain, and can he helpful for bones that are slow to heal.
After an accident, Bach flower remedies can be applied to pulse points, and again, a good herbal treatment for shock is an infusion of balm, camomile, peppermint and skullcap, which can be sipped, or applied as a compress to the head area. Arnica can he taken while awaiting medical attention.
Biofeedback and kinesiology can be useful in the recuperative stages of injury, as can therapies like colour therapy (to help with persistent headaches), flotation therapy, relaxation and psychotherapy. ‘Ihe latter can be especially good, since anxiety can play a pan in injury-related headaches. Reflexology to treat the head and neck area could be helpful; therapists say this revitalises the body SO that it can better heal itself. It should also relieve some of Ihe pain and tension. Osteopathy and cranial osteopathy may help, after the initial injury has begun to settle down.
Comfrey root (in small doses) can be taken internally to encourage bone healing in the case of fracture. (‘Ihe old name for comfrey is knitbone’.) Valerian tea combined with skullcap may help with spasm-caused headaches. Bumps and bruises can be swabbed with witch hazel, which will prevent swelling. A poultice of mustard seed stimulates circulation and relieves muscular and skeletal pain. Anti-inflammatory herbs include comfrey, marigold and yarrow. Apply as a compress.
An aromatherapist could suggest lavender, marjoram and thyme to sooth aching and promote healing. Essential oil of fennel will ease muscular pain. Rose in the hath can help headaches, and try essential oil of lemon on the bandage to arrest bleeding. Ant-inflammatory oils include bergamot, marigold (calendula), lavender and myrrh. Black pepper is rubefacient and can be used in massage alter beating has begun. Analgesic oils are bergamot, camomile and lavender.
‘Ihe homoeopathic remedies of nut sulph, china and camomile can be taken after a head injury, and bryonia can relieve discomfort, along with arnica, hypericum and Symphytum. But do see a registered homoeopath who will assess your particular needs.
*61\20\2*
Abdominal migraine
Abdominal migraine is migraine that is perceived in the abdomen. It has exactly the same time span as common migraine, but never has any visual symptoms, or any other aura symptoms, such as paralysis. It isn’t due to blood vessel instability, but may well be due to disordered movement and spasm of the muscles in the gut. The symptoms are abdominal pain, vomiting, sometimes with giddiness, and a dislike of bright lights. Disturbances of mood are common. There may be irritability and yawning, and a loss of energy and drive. Some children also experience a ‘peculiar feeling’ which they can’t quite explain. In later life they may associate it with other migrainous symptoms which have only then become obvious – for example, the development of an aura.
Abdominal migraine often disappears by about the age of twelve, and it is not certain whether or not it progresses to common or classical migraine.
Menstrual migraine
Menstrual migraine is defined as a migraine which occurs at the beginning of the period – either on the first two days of the period, or the day before the period starts. It seems to be linked to a drop in oestrogen levels within the body and responds to treatment with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). About one in ten women with migraine experience menstrual migraine.
Other, less frequent, variants of migraine include the following:
Basilar migraine
Basilar migraine occurs mainly in young women, and is often associated with the time of the period. It occurs as a result of disturbances at a low level of the brain, involving a much more generalised upset in the brain’s functioning. Rather than having an aura which affects only part of the body or part of the visual field, in basilar migraine the visual aura can involve the whole field of view. There can be ringing in the ears, dizziness, transient deafness, double vision, weakness on both sides of the body, uncoordination and clumsy speech. There can also be drowsiness which lasts for a number of hours or, briefly, unconsciousness. Although these symptoms are very dramatic they are fully reversible.
Migraine equivalent
This is when the typical aura of migraine is not associated with any headache. Familial hemiplegic migraine
This is a rare form of migraine which is followed by weakness on one side of the body which can last up to a week; some close members of the family often exhibit the same problem. This is the only type of migraine that we believe to be fully hereditary. The tendency to have migraine does run in families, but in a much less specific way than in familial hemiplegic migraine, which may be handed down directly from parent to child.
Ophthalmoplegic migraine
In ophthalmoplegic migraine there is weakness of the muscles that control the movements of the eyes. Double vision is likely to occur, as is a drooping eyelid and a widened pupil.
We’re not sure whether ophthalmoplegic migraine is true migraine at all. For a start, the headaches last a lot longer – often a week or more – than in other types of migraine.
Retinal migraine
In retinal migraine there is either complete blindness in one eye or alternatively a large patch missing from the visual field of one eye. (This is different from the blank spots in classical migraine, in which the blank areas occur in both eyes together.) As there are a number of other diseases that cause blind spots to develop in a single eye, further investigation may be needed to rule out other causes, such as clots in the eye itself.
Migraine with prolonged aura
Sometimes the aura can extend for up to a week. In cases like this there may actually be no headache at all! Although this can be true migraine, it can also indicate other neurological problems and full investigation is usually needed. Some doctors think that migraine with prolonged aura isn’t true migraine at all.
Migraine with sudden aura
Technically this is called migraine with an acute onset aura. Here the migraine develops fully within five minutes of the aura starting. Again, this is rare, and it is important to make sure that there isn’t something else underlying it.
*9\20\2*
Children who are coming down with any one of the childhood diseases are usually pale, listless, tired and irritable. Recognising these signs, and increasing fluids and making sure the child is well-rested, will decrease the severity of the illness. Homoeopathy is effective at all stages of the illness, and is perfectly safe for children. Individual consultation will be necessary, but some of the suggested remedies are: morbillinium for measles, Phytolacca for mumps, pertussin, aconite and bryonia for whooping cough, and rhus tox, sulphur and belladonna for German measles.
Herbal remedies abound for both the treatment of the illness and for dealing with the temperature and headaches that are the symptoms of the illness. Yarrow as a tea can be taken in measles, as well as poke root. Echinacea tablets or tincture may help clear rashes, and catmint (catnip) can be infused to bring down fever, Poke root in tincture or tablet form are helpful for mumps, as well as taking senna for fever, and freshly chopped ginger as a poultice on the skin.
German measles might respond to chicory and cherry plum Bach flower remedies, and for whooping cough you might try coltsfoot, elecampane, and black root. Wild cherry can help the cough itself
Children who are suffering from fever can be gently sponged with a few drops of camomile or bergamot oils in tepid water; alternatively, use tea tree and eucalyptus dropped on a hanky and lied to the end of the bed or cot. Hornbeam, chicory and holly Bach flower remedies might help, and acupuncture can bring down fever.
There are many alternative therapies for febrile convulsions. In terms of prevention, anything that prevents a fever from climbing is helpful, like belladonna or mere sol. Use Rescue remedy in a crisis.
The relief of adult infection and fever is somewhat similar, but there are plenty more options. Aromatherapy is useful in many cases. Basil, chamomile rose and tea tree will induce sweating, while eucalyptus, lemongrass, tea tree and rosemary can bring down fever. You could massage your temples and the back of your neck with camomile in a base oil, and baths of any of the above oils should help. Try a tepid bath when suffering fever. Cooling oils are bergamot and lavender, and oils used in viral infections include tea tree, eucalyptus and bergamot.
Camomile, eucalyptus, rosemary and thyme can be mixed or taken separately as a tea, to relieve fever. Where there is infection of the urinary tract, diuretic herbal teas might help. Try pine, parsley or celery. Chlorophyll tablets and barley water can ease out infection. Drink plenty of water and camomile tea, when suffering infection of any kind, and try eating fresh garlic.
The same homoeopathic remedies for children will bring down high temperatures in adults, and specific illnesses will require specific doses and dilutions. The symptoms of malaria, for example, can be eased with china, china sulph and arsenicum, though othodox medical advice must he taken as well. (It was while trying to find a cure for malaria, and observing the effects of quinine, that Samuel Hahnemann discovered the principles of homoeopathic medicine.)
The clinical nutritionist would recommend black cohash, devil’s claw and quinine for malaria, ‘there is some evidence that other viruses can be controlled by increased intake of zinc and Vitamin C. Extracts of licorice and St John’s wort may have anti-viral properties. Acupuncture, acupressure and Bach flower remedies may all help deal with the pain of headaches caused by infection, and help ease other symptoms. Some claim to go to the root of the pain, and deal with the diseases themselves, by stimulating the body’s own resources. See what works for you.
*35\20\2*
Anything that knots up the muscles in the neck or head has the potential to cause a tension headache. Obviously, stress is a potent factor, but neck injuries, poor posture, eye strain, congenital defects and using the neck in awkward positions are all important causes.
For many people, stress causes them to stiffen and hunch up their shoulders, although why this should happen is curious because it doesn’t seem to form any particularly useful function. Try this little test yourself: observe where your shoulders are in relationship to your head and the rest of your body. Now shrug your shoulders as hard as you can, holding it for a couple of seconds. Now let go, dropping your shoulders down suddenly. Notice how much further your shoulders drop than before – which means that at the start you were already holding your shoulders tense!
Stress isn’t the only cause of headaches due to muscle spasm. Anything that causes injury or irritation to the bones, ligaments and joints of the neck is likely to cause muscle spasm in the area as a secondary effect. Arthritis of the neck, a whiplash accident, or any exercise which involves holding the neck bent back is likely to irritate the neck joints and send the surrounding neck muscles into spasm.
What are these unpleasant exercises that bend the neck backwards? Painting the ceiling, for a start; working with your hands above your head; and swimming, assuming that you’re one of the many that can only swim breaststroke, by keeping your head up out of the water all the time!
Holding your head backwards in this way for any length of time tends to irritate the joints in the back of the neck. Because of the reflex reaction, whereby irritated joints cause the muscles around them to go into spasm, painful, irritated joints cause the muscles nearby to go into painful knots; this rams the joints together even further, which hurts even more, which causes the muscles to go into even greater spasms, which rams the joints together… and.so on.
Holding yourself tense for any reason is likely to exacerbate tension headaches, because artificially raising the tension in certain muscles tends to increase the tension in all your muscles. For example: try threading a needle and notice how tense all sorts of other muscles have become. After a period of finicky work the level of muscle tension can rise in all sorts of muscles – especially those in the neck.
Another potent cause of tense muscles is tightly screwing up your eyes – either in harsh sunlight, or because you should really be wearing glasses. It tenses the muscles in the face, and if continued for long periods, will give you a headache.
Bad positioning of the neck and head is another major cause of problems. Chief among the activities that cause this is using a computer which hasn’t been set up at the right level, the correct distance away. II is all too easy to sit in slightly the wrong position, with the monitor placed so that your head is either bent far too far forward or too far back, with your back sagging and your chin jutting forward as you peer at the screen; or else typing away like mad and not moving your head from left to right for hours at a time. Wrong positioning like this, with fixing of the posture, is almost guaranteed to produce neck ache and subsequent headaches.
just as the joint – pain/muscle – spasm reflex can cause self-perpetuating muscle spasm and headache, so a tension headache lends to self-perpetuate. Tension headaches hurt So what do you do? That’s right, you hold your head as still as possible, so the muscles in the neck stay in spasm; now they’re voluntarily being asked to contract as well.
When you next get a tension headache, notice the position of your shoulders; almost certainly they’ll be tense and raised. Now, consciously relax them. Let them drop down. Leave them like this, go back to what you were doing, and, in two minutes, you’ll find they’ve risen of their own accord, back to where they were originally. No wonder tension headaches can be difficult to get rid of – it’s that self-perpetuation again.
However, every cloud has a silver lining: this nature of tension headaches actually makes them very vulnerable to attack, because if you can break the pain/spasm/pain cycle, the vicious circle unwinds very quickly. Reduce the pain and you don’t need to hold your head quite so still. Reduce the need to contract the neck muscles and the headache lessens, which means the muscle spasm reduces … Once a tension headache starts to go, it usually goes very quickly indeed, and doesn’t come back; at least, not for some time.
*21\20\2*