How to get rid of a headache naturally from a girl who has tried many a headache medicine in her life and finally threw in the towel!
I’m one of those people who has always had headaches and migraines. I remember in second grade I had an amazing teacher that also got headaches and when I would get a bad headache she would give me a peppermint, lend me her sunglasses, and tell me to go lay my head on my desk for a bit. Mrs. Terpstra was one of my favorite teachers for a reason!
My parents were incredibly supportive and tried to troubleshoot with me, even took me to a headache clinic later in life to try to get to the bottom of it. I was so hopeful during my first meeting with the doctor at the clinic, I felt seen and understood, and I thought this time would be different. To disappointment, the doctor wanted to try out a plethora daily preventative pills to pop alongside of emergency pills when I “felt a headache coming on” or “started to get a headache”.
After trying medicine after medicine in the past, that didn’t feel like a solution or a real look at my health and the underlying causes that could be contributing to these headaches. I decided to go my own route, forget about trying everything in the medicine cabinet, and experiment with how to get ride of headache naturally.
My favorite tricks for how to get rid of a headache naturally
Acupressure mat
If you are like me and you’ve had an acupressure mat in your cart on Amazon, but never pulled the trigger 18 times this past year, do yourself a favor and try it out!! I am not a medical professional, but I know there are studies about how this practice has been linked to a reduction in headache symptoms.
I lay on my acupressure mat every morning for 10 minutes while I use my red light therapy mask and I can confidently say it’s made a difference in reducing my headaches. I also use it when I feel a headache coming on or while I’m battling a headache and it ass provided temporary relief for me.
I bought this acupressure mat on Amazon with our FSA card, it runs between $45-$65 depending on if it’s on sale.
I have a friend that has this acupressure mat, also from Amazon, but with a lower price tag around $30.
LMNT
LMNT electrolyte mix has been a game changer for me. I worked with a nutritionist for a short time on some health issues that I was working through. She suggested that I try to cure headaches naturally with an electrolyte drink, like LMNT, to make sure I had the appropriate amount of minerals in my system. I gave it a try and I now drink it everyday, when I workout in the morning. If I miss my workout I try to slide it in before my coffee.
I will warn you, it is salty! I thought it was going to be nasty, but worth it to get rid of headache naturally, so I put it in 4 ounces and chugged it the first couple of time — that was a mistake and definitely not what I recommend. LMNT does taste good when you mix it into 16-20 ounces of water. I’ve really grown to crave it over time. It’s salty, but it has nice flavor. My favorite is the raspberry and orange is my runner up.
Movement
For me there are two types of movements to try and it all depends where my headache is at.
If I can catch my headache when it’s just starting to ramp up, then I go for a HIIT-type workout where I will sweat, a lot. 15 minutes on the Peloton bike is my go-to and my goal is literally to sweat out my headache symptoms.
If I can’t catch my headache in time, like when I wake up with a severe headache or migraine, I will stretch or do yoga. In that case, I need something seated that will get my body moving, but won’t make my headache get worse.
Ice roller
I discovered this little ice roller gem in the summer time in postpartum with our third child. It will probably never hit the same as it did this first few months — because I was a sweaty, swollen postpartum mess — but I still reach for my ice roller every morning to shake off the wake up grogginess and whenever I had a headache for some relief.
Shower
In my experience, taking a shower is a total and complete toss up when it come to headache relief naturally. Most of the time I think it seems to help, maybe because I automatically feel fresh. And I figured, the worst case scenario here is that you’re clean!
The thing I will note is that sometimes I opt for a cold shower instead of a warm shower when I have a headache. I used to play volleyball in college and we would cold plunge several times a week, so it’s kind of a throwback for me, but I will admit that it’s not super comfortable during the shower, but it feels great afterwards as your body thaws back to normal temp.
Fresh air
Looking for how to get rid of a headache naturally? Fresh air usually helps reduce my headaches as well. I will go outside and take several deep breaths in every hour or so. Sometimes I even do a little arm raise as I breathe in, and lower as I breathe out. It’s relaxing and there is just something about crisp air that does a mind good. I’m not someone who does great in the heat, so in the middle of summer this is not the trick for me, but in the spring, fall, and winter — yes please!
Hydration
If you have ever Googled “how to cure a headache naturally” I’m sure you’re reading this and thinking, “duh!” But I can’t write a post about how to cure headache naturally and not remind you that you need to hydrate to be great because I know it makes a difference for me. I naturally drink a lot of water everyday so this is typically not a concern for me, but dehydration can lead to headaches and regardless of how you feel about how much water you need in a day, drinking water helps you avoid drinking other things (too much caffeine, alcohol, sugary beverages) and that can also contribute to less headaches.
A bit of caffeine
A bit of caffeine can really help my headaches. The trick here is that less is more. For me, too much caffeine will cause a headache, so I’m careful with the amount. You won’t see me reach for a cup of coffee to avoid a headache at 11am after I’ve had two cups of coffee in the morning. That ship has sailed. When it’s early after noon or if I haven’t had caffeine all day, I might drink a half cup to a cup of coffee to help fight a headache.
Sleep and/or dark room
I know, I know! If you ask how to get rid of a headache naturally and I say sleep that’s probably not super helpful. I’m sure we’d all love to just shut the door, pull the blinds, and sleep our headache off, but we have jobs and kids and responsibilities that make that a tough option. If you can, ask for help where you need it, then find a dark spot and lay down. For my worst headaches head to our walk-in closet with a pillow and a blanket, close the door, and take a nap or just rest.
When it comes to how to get rid of a headache naturally, there are many options
There are many things that I have tried or are on my list to try that didn’t make my list of top nine, but might work for you!
- Cold compress or ice pack
- Food elimination (dairy + gluten in particular)
- Essential oils (peppermint is commonly recommended)
- Someone once old me that a Coke is great because of the little sugar + caffeine combo. I’ve definitely tried it in the past, but I don’t think it’s my best option.
- Avoiding histamines
In general, stress relief is a big part of preventing headaches in the first place. I’ve noticed a difference in my headache frequency from practicing more self care. If you’re interested in one of my daily habits, check out the Good Day notepad. It’s a really smooth and helpful way to start each day with intention, keep a grateful mindset, and live your best life!
When someone asks you how to get ride of a headache naturally what are your go-to solutions? Let me know if the comments, I’m always up for trying something new.