alternative medicine

Any of you out there in to alternative medicine - ie pressing this part of your body in a particular way will enable you to feel better here.....

I have had bad headaches for the last 4 weeks - sometimes leading into migraines - the docs just conf its part of this flu thing - try x painkiller. they cant do anything bar more tablets and I already have enough in me to rattle. HAve taken approx 10 since 2.30 this morning and am at my limit for the day.
Have just got up from a further nap - 1.5 hours taken cause of head pain. Does anyone have any ideas of alertnative methods that may help that I can do to myself?
I would be incredibly grateful - even if they are bizare I am open to ideas
Cheers

kev

The last three years, I have been in three accidents, each one involving horses and concussions. Only got thrown though one time. I was in incredible pain, having headache seizures actually and was diagnosed as having something that was similiar to epilepsy, but the seizures produced headaches not convulsions. I was a mess, they had me on muscle relaxers, pain pills, sedatives, pastes, you name it, I was taking it, and not getting better. Finally, my neurologist realized that this stuff wasn't helping, instead it was harming me. So he told me about an orthopedic surgeon who some years back got into a bad car accident. He was put into the hospital, went under the knife several times and placed into managed pain care. He wasn't getting better. His wife, in desperation took him to China where he was seen by the leading accupuncturist holistic healer there. The treatments cured him, and he stayed in China working under this master and learning the art of accupuncture. Then he came back and set up a clinic.

I was skeptical but desperate and I took his phone number and called him. The conversation I had with him was extraordinary. He asked me countless probing questions about my symptoms and cause thereof. Normally when you call a doctor's office, you get a nurse and an appointment, but this call was different. I got a feeling that someone on the other end was really listening to me for the first time. He told me insurance would not cover his costs- said he was to controversial and insurance companies fought him. He worked on a cash only basis $40.00 a visit. I told him this was fine.

I saw him for a total of four months, twice a week. I have been pain free and drug free ever since. If you can find a good accupuncturist in your neck of the woods, I suggest you try them. The first thing he told me to do before he would even treat me was quit all the medication I was on. It was rough, but I did it. I've been healthy ever since.

Another, similar option is acupressure. The acupressure pressure point for headaches is the base of the thumb (on your palm). Apply very strong pressure to the fleshy part of the hand where the thumb and palm meet (the dark red oval on the attached photo), for as long as you can stand it. It will not be comfortable. It may not make the headache go away completely, but it WILL lessen the severity. I get migraines and Tybalt does the acupressure for me, it DOES work.

This is the photo I was trying to attach

hey Kev,

try the accupuncture.. it helps a lot. I'll go for that.

Kev - for immediate pain relief, if you can't wait to get to an accupuncturist, invloves ice packs. The cold helps relieve the pressure. Place the ice pack on the area that has the most pain. Often the pain is tendon related. I also swear by chiropratics!

Ady - thanks for reminding me about chiropractors - I was having migraines and they got worse when I got pregnant, having them every day. Then a friend of mine suggested a chiropractor, and so I went to one - he said that my neck bones were out of alignment, possibly due to trauma. So I went regularly for 6 months and I have been migraine free since - I now rarely have headaches.

www.triggerpointbook.com/

This worked wonders for my headaches - I've had bad headaches for the last 12 years since a neck injury. I saw a massage therapist who helped a great deal, & referred me to this book so I can help myself at home, too. I bought the thera-cane to use on spots I can't reach, and also use one of those memory-foam pillows to sleep on - the combination has really helped.

I've never tried acupuncture myself, but a vet did it on a cat of mine who had arthritis and it really helped her, so I truly believe that it does work - there's no placebo effect with a cat!