Soma and Fioricet Information

Lifestyle

Consistent exercise will produce endorphins, a natural painkilling chemical in the body. Exercise could also support the opening up of blood vessels, which will make the blood flow more and might help stop the constriction that happens when most migraines start. To stop a tension headache in the process, do the next exercise while you take a deep breath, and concentrate on relaxation:  While you are sitting down, breath in and carefully lean your head back until you can see the ceiling (take caution that you don’t lean your head back too far, because this can put pressure on the cervical spine); breath out and lean your head forward until your chin reaches your chest: do this two times.

Maintaining a headache journal can help you find out exactly what causes certain headache patterns.

This journal should give answers for these 10 questions:

1. At what time did your headaches first start?

2. How often are you experiencing them?

3. Before the headaches start, do you experience other symptoms?

4. Where is the pain located?

5. It lasts how long?

6. When do these headaches happen?

7. When you consume particular foods, do they trigger a headache?

8. If you are a woman, where are you in your menstruating cycle when they happen?

9. Do factors of the environment trigger the headaches, like noise, odor, or certain types of weather?

10. Name the words that describe your headache pain most accurately: blinding, throbbing, piercing, stabbing… ?

MASSAGE

The headache tension that is produced in your neck, facial, head, and shoulder muscles can be relieved by massage therapy. Trying doing a 10 minute massage on your scalp:  Put your two middle fingers on your hairline on the forehead, press down gently, eventually moving them back to the middle of your head, outlining your hairline, and do this movement in 12 minute intervals until you arrive at your temples, turn your fingers on each side for several minutes, then move your two thumbs to the top of your skull near your hairline and massage the two sides of your skull until you reach the top to let go of any pressure.

MIND/BODY MEDICINE

Some effective methods for relieving the stress that contributes to tension headaches are meditation and progressive relaxation methods. Stress can be decreased by using biofeedback training techniques. Migraine headaches, also, can be helped with thermal biofeedback, which teaches you how to make the temperature of your hands and feet higher. Making these parts warm consists of opening up the blood vessels that circulate blood to them - a procedure, that eventually, might decrease unusual blood vessel constriction in the head and hopefully result in less migraine occurrence, suffering, and length.

NUTRITION AND DIET

There are some foods, such as chocolate, various cheeses, citrus fruits, processed meats with sodium nitrates or MSC, and red wine, that can trigger or aggravate migraine headaches. Maintaining a food diary will help you find which foods to stop eating. Constricted blood vessels are relaxed by magnesium, however, when magnesium levels are low, they might contribute to cluster and migraine headaches. Doses of 200 mg three times daily as a supplement might assist in prevention. Use 50 to 200 mg of niacin or niacinamide when the pain is first felt as it might help the blood vessels to stay open, maybe decreasing the initial constriction stage of a migraine, and prevent an occurrence.

OSTEOPATHY

Osteopaths think that headaches originating from stress on the nerves or blood vessels can be relaxed with neuromuscular manipulation and massaging the soft tissues on your head, neck, and upper back.