"My Prescription for Headaches may cause Migraines? Huh??"

Sometimes, the exact thing we get medication for is something it will in fact aggravate. It’s best to read all there is to know about medication before taking it, and to try to seek natural remedies first.

• Consumer reports survey reveals that antidepressants were no more effective than “traditional talk therapy.”


• Here are the results of another consumer reports study: Medication for headaches can actually cause a headache.

• “Heart medication may cause heart failure”- this one I heard in a television advertisement.

I mention some of these reports and truths because we really need to be careful in what medication we are taking and for how long. The scary fact is that most have life changing side effects, even the biggest life changer you can imagine- life ending, in fact.

When it comes to back pain, neck pain, headaches or something related, try for natural pain relief first.


Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.
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The Real Cost of Headaches- Lost time from work, family and fun

Did you know that headaches are nearly epidemic in the United States? Don't just take my word for it. Consider the following statistics:

• The National Headache Foundation says up to 45 million Americans suffer from repeated tension headaches. (Forbes Magazine, June 8, 2004)
  
  
• According to Dr. Ellen Drexler, director of the Headache Center at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City, chronic daily headaches afflict 4 to 5 percent of the American population. (July 14, 2004 interview in Healthscout)
  
  
• About half of the people in the world who suffer from a headache don't get any treatment, according to the World Health Organization, which also says that more than 80 percent of adult women and two-thirds of adult men suffer from headache disorders. (July 14, 2004, Atlanta Journal Constitution)
  
  
• Americans spend over $4 billion annually on over-the-counter drugs and therapies for chronic headaches. Muscle tension accounts for about 90 percent of all headaches. (Health and Fitness Magazine, July 8, 2004)
  
  
• One in eight American workers is in pain and losing productive time at work, costing U.S. businesses an estimated $61.2 billion annually, with headaches being the most common type of pain, according to a November, 2003 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Reuters, Nov. 11, 2003)
  
  
• A Cleveland-based study in 2004 found that over 20 percent of 680 children and adolescents involved in that study overused such pain relievers as acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Overuse was described by Dr. A. David Rothner of the Children's Hospital at the Cleveland Clinic as taking these medications at least three times a week for six weeks. (Cleveland Plain Dealer on June 12, 2004).
  
  
• According to Dr. Rothner, children under the age of 19 shouldn't use aspirin because it puts them at risk of Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal disorder. Other risks of overusing over-the-counter pain relievers include kidney failure, liver problems, intestinal and stomach bleeding, and occasional headaches becoming chronic, Rothner said. (Reuters, June 10, 2004)
  
  
• Women get more headaches than men, and people with advanced degrees suffer more often from tension headaches than the less educated, according to the a
  1998 study by the John Hopkins University School of Public Health
  
  
• Americans make more visits to non-conventional healers (some 600 million visits a year) than they do to medical doctors and spend more money out-of-pocket o do so - about $30 billion annually. (Newsweek Dec. 2,2002)
  
  

To get more information about Tension Headaches read: How to Get Permanent Relief From Chronic Tension Headaches. It will give you several easy-to-follow stretches to do that gradually retrain your muscles to adapt to a proper posture.

The HealthyNeck System Muscle spasm and tension of the Neck and Headache Relief

We are always looking for great neck pain relief products here at Arc4life. Today I want to discuss a great tool called the HealthyNeck System.Great for the relief of neck pain, migraine headaches, cervicogenic headaches and muscle spasm of the upper trapezius and neck muscles. The HealthyNeck has 5 different surfaces to give you an effective work up of your muscles, especially where you need it the most. If you have any of these symptoms:

• Headaches and Neck Pain
  
• Muscle Soreness and Spasms
  
• Travelers Neck
  
• Fatigue due to Stiff Neck
  
• Computer Neck and Student Neck
  
• Muscle Spasms in the upper trapezius
  
• Stiff neck

Using the five different surfaces on the HealthyNeck you can work out muscle tension in your cervical paraspinals and suboccipitals Try the HealthyNeck System for relief of neck pain, shoulder pain and headaches.
Cost: 52.95 on Sale Size: one size fits all Color: Blue Weight: Light, easy and durable to travel with To order the HealthyNeck: Click here

Other products to check out for headache relief:
Halo Rejuvenator Pain Releiver
Headache Ice Pillo.

Watch the Video Below to check out HealthyNeck System of relieving muscular tension, trigger points and muscle spasm from your neck.

NJ
Visit us at Arc4life.com
Join our Free Newsletter at Arc4life: The Healthy Back and Neck eNewsletter- Read February 2008
Arc4life is an Ehow expert on health related issues. Read our How to Articles here: Ehow Arc4life Articles
Contact NJ via email: info@arc4life.com

Headache Misconceptions- What True and What is Myth?

1. Over-The-Counter Medication Treat The Cause Of Your Headache
   
   
   It's not right that drug companies are hiding from you that the headache relieving drugs they advertise don't actually target the real cause of your headaches.
   
   Here's the real deal...These pills cover up your headache by simply disabling your brain's ability to feel your headache. That's why your headache comes back when the pills wear off!
   
   If you tore your rotator cuff and just took pills so you didn't have to feel the pain, the pain would come back when the pills wore off; in fact the pain might be worse.
   
   If these medications actually treated the root cause of your headache, then shouldn't your headaches go away permanently? But they don't.
   
   Really, these headaches meds, cover up your symptoms. The ACTUAL cause of your headaches remains untreated and that's why you keep suffering.
   
   
2. Headache Medication Can't Harm You
   
   
   One thing many headache sufferers don't know about the drugs they take is that these pills are not 100% safe. In fact, a lot of the side effects you may experience are far worse than the headaches you're trying to cover up for a measly four hours of relief.
   
   You see, the way these pills disable your ability to feel headaches is to disable a little hormone in your body that acts like a messenger to your brain. Of course, our bodies, being the highly tuned machines they are, have figured out how to use these hormones for more jobs than one. So
   if you disable the hormone from doing just one job, it will also not do all the other jobs in your body.
   
   This can lead to all sorts of problems. You can get something as minor as a rash, or you can have sudden liver failure or kidney problems. Even aspirin has been linked to causing unknowing users to suffer from deadly hemoragghic strokes.
   
   It gets worse...you see, the more often you take these medications, the more your risk will skyrocket!
   
   Also, medication seldom increases your body's ability to respond to stress appropriately, and it usually decreases your body's natural ability to fight disease!
   
   
3. Stress Causes Headaches
   
   Yes, stress is a part of living, but it is not the cause of headaches.
   
   Have you ever heard of that saying, "only the strong survive" or "survival of the fittest"?
   
   It's how your body adapts to stress that determines if "stress" will affect your health or how you feel.
   
   So, in a minute, I will explain how you can quickly and easily increase your body's ability to adapt to stress.
   
   
4. Headaches Go Away On Their Own
   
   
   Tony Robbins has a saying, "The definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results."
   
   If you truly want to get rid of your headaches, then you're going to have to try something different; something natural, and hopefully drug free...and equally important, something that is proven to work.
   
   Obviously, you wouldn't still be reading this report if you weren't concerned about your headaches. So please, for your sake, don't drop the ball and not take action; because as you will in a moment discover, you will have a chance to end your headaches once-and-for-all.
   
   
5. All Doctors Know How To Treat Headaches
   
   
   There's a saying that goes something like this..."If You're A Hammer, All You See Is Nails"
   
   Hammers hit nails...M.D.'s prescribe medication.
   
   Expecting a different approach from your medical doctor will only lead to disappointment. That's why I wrote this report - to help headache sufferers like you.
   
   Before we go any further, let me stress to you that there is a place for medication, but more importantly, the cause of the problem must be identified because the wrong diagnosis = wrong care.
   
   And, if your doctor's treatment fails, you'll probably get even stronger medications or, in an extreme case, your doctor will recommend surgery. Personally, I think there are times when surgery is the only option, but in terms of headaches, there are natural alternatives that many times, work a lot better without the risks associated with invasive treatments.
   
   In fact, if you really want great results without all the risk of drugs, doesn't it make sense to try a natural solution first?
   
   
6. Your Problem Is Always Where Your Pain Is.
   
   
   Even though you may be feeling your headaches in your sinuses or on the top of your head, that doesn't necessarily mean that is where the cause of the problem is located.
   
   For instance, oftentimes people with a disc problem in their lower back get pain, numbness, or weakness in their legs, even if there's nothing physically wrong with their legs.
   
   One of the most common causes of headaches that do NOT originate in the head is called a "Cervicogenic" headache.
   
   "The Cervicogenic headache is a big word for a headache which has its origin in the area of the neck. The source of pain is found in structures around the neck which have been damaged. These structures can include joints, ligaments, muscles, and cervical discs, all of which have complex nerve endings. When these structures are damaged, the nerve endings send pain signals up the pathway from the upper nerves of the neck to the brain. During this process, they intermingle with the nerve fibers of the trigeminal nerve. Since the trigeminal nerve is responsible for the perception of head pain, the patient therefore experiences the symptoms of a headache."
   - Dr. Peter Rothbart, M.D.
   

You May Have A "Cervicogenic Headache" !


If you answer "Yes" to any of these SIX questions...

1. "Has your neck ever experienced trauma?"
   
   
2. "Have you ever been in a car accident?"
   
   
3. "Have you ever played football or any other contact sports?"
   
   
4. "Have you experienced many 'minor' injuries?"
   
   
5. "Is your neck stiff or, at times, difficult to move?"
   
   
6. "As a child, did you experience a fall off the swing, porch, down stairs, or any other 'minor' incident?"

If you answered "YES" to at least ONE of the following questions, your headache may be caused by a hidden problem in your neck but there's good news...it can be corrected!!!
To learn more and correct neck problems before your pain gets worse, go to: www.arc4life.com.

For natural headache pain relief try the HALO Pain Relief Rejuvenator. See our previous blog entry here: Halo Rejuvenator

A Natural Solution for Immediate Headache Pain Relief

It is estimated that between 40 and 50 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. Headaches are believed to be the result of an electrical and chemical imbalance at centers in the brain that regulate blood vessels around the head and neck. The cause of Headaches can be a variety of reasons such as stress, reactions to certain foods, hormonal imbalances, genetic predisposition, fatigue, noise, glare.
Headaches can present in a variety of forms including:

Tension headaches are the most common type and are typically caused by muscle contraction in the head and neck. Symptoms of a tension headaches include soreness in your temples, a tightening band-like sensation around your head (a "vice-like" ache), a pulling feeling, pressure sensations, and contracting head and neck muscles. This is why physicians may refer to tension-type headaches as "muscle contraction" headaches. Your symptoms can also include a tightness in your neck (as if your "head and neck were in a cast"); only certain positions seem to provide relief. The headache surfaces in your forehead, temples or the back of your head and neck. These headaches can be episodic or chronic (going on for months and not having any pain relief from over the counter medications)


Vascular headaches, which include cluster and migraine headaches, are the result of overactive blood vessels.


Migraine Headaches can last between 12 and 24 hours and is often accompanied by nausea and other symptoms.


Cluster headaches generally lasts from 30 to 45 minutes, although it might persist for several hours before it disappears.They are called cluster headaches because the attacks come in groups. The pain arrives with little, if any, warning, and it has been described as the most severe and intense of any headache type. Unfortunately, it can reoccur later in the day. Most sufferers experience one to four headaches a day during a cluster period.which typically affect men, are accompanied by throbbing pain around one red, watery eye, and nasal congestion.


Sinus headaches is characterized by congestion and steady pain behind your face that worsens if you bend forward. Sinuses are filled with air, and their secretions must be able to drain freely into the nose. If your headache is truly caused by a sinus blockage, such as an infection, this will probably be accompanied by a fever. Having an x-ray will confirm a sinus blockage. Your physician's treatment might include antibiotics for the infection, as well as antihistamines or decongestants.

Solutions for Headache Relief:

1. Acupressure Points: Particularly your temples and at the top of your nose (use your index finger and thumb and press for 5-10 seconds
   
2. Chiropractic manipulation to the cervical spine
   
3. Massage therapy for the neck muscles, particularly the suboccipitals and the cervical paraspinals
   
4. Cervical Neck Traction may help stretch your neck muscles proving instant relief
   
5. Acupuncture
   
6. Watch what you eat: Trigger foods include MSGS, caffeine, certain chemicals such as dyes in processed foods, tanins in wine
   
7. The Headache Ice Pillow or relieving your worst headaches.
   
   Arc4life's Headache Ice Pillow for your neck
   
   This neck pillow uses a special, compact design to help relieve headaches by providing support to your neck while sleeping or resting. An anatomically designed, soft-frozen gel pack can be inserted into the pillow for added relief. This headache pillow is perfect for travel, reading or sleeping. It can provide relief from pinched nerves, stiffness, sprains, neck injuries or other traumas. The gel pack stores in your freezer until needed. The added ice therapy will help in decreasing muscle spasm and inflammation in the neck muscles. The Headache ice pillow is clinically proven to relieve headaches - it has shown to categorically help nearly 80% of uses.
   

Specifications of Headache Ice Pillow
Dimensions:12.00" height x 11.00" width x 5.50" diameter
Weight: 1.80 Pounds
Color: White
Click here for more information on The Headache Ice Pillow