Headache - is it all in the mind?

Headaches are so commonplace that many of us have simply accepted them as an inevitable part of our modern, everyday lives. Indeed, it isnít the fact that 98% of the population suffer from headaches that is worrying, it is more that the majority of us have decided that a headache is "normal", and that taking a couple of tablets is the most effective solution.

Unfortunately, this means that too many of us are treating a headache as being the central problem - the illness itself - when in fact it is really only a symptom, warning us that there is something else wrong with the body. Consequently, by popping a few easy-to swallow pills the headache is cleared up, but the real problem, the cause, remains un-addressed. This behaviour is akin to turning off a fire alarm without putting the fire out!

So what causes a headache?

Research has shown that around 80% of all headaches are due to a personís lifestyle. There are literally hundreds of different "life factors" capable of triggering a headache in any one of us, including: certain food types; not eating when hungry; alcohol; stress; inadequate sleep; smoking; pollution; strenuous exercise; lack of exercise; frequent use of VDU screens; strong smells, or a recent cold ñ to name but a few!

These individual triggers are all capable of contributing towards the 4 major causes of a headache, which are muscle/tension, migraine, sinusitis or high blood pressure. (For example, stress can contribute to a muscle/tension headache, a food type to migraine, a cold to sinusitis, and weight gain to high blood pressure.)

Top tips for avoiding pain.

Don't make an enemy of your work place... make sure your work surface is at a comfortable height for you. Use a chair with good lower back support that's adjustable. If you have to sit for hours on end, try resting your feet on a low stool.

Get good shoes. It sounds stupid, but shoes that don't support you properly can cause your body to twist out of shape (albeit very slightly) and can cause back and joint pain. So make sure the shoes you do the most walking in are well made.

Comfrey is a perennial herb with a black, turnip like root and large, hairy broad leaves that grows on river banks and ditches throughout the UK. It's also one of nature's real power-herbs. Just a few drops of a tincture made from this herb will help ease the pain of damaged tissue and reduce swelling. You can use it for bruises, dislocations, sprains - practically any injury will benefit. So try a few drops, and see if it works for you.

Do you suffer with a bad back, but are fed up with reaching for the pain killers or just coping with it? Then why not try a soothing home-made bath tonic. All you need is one pint of water and one large handful of thyme. Put the water into a pan with the Thyme, bring to the boil and simmer for ten minutes. Strain and allow to cool before adding gradually to a running bath. Then sit back and relax.