Alternative Therapies - today's headache

[Guest guest]

Ok, I wasn't going to get on the list again this afternoon - have too

much work to do. However, pain changed that. I've got a headache

today - on the right side. It started as a textbook tensions with the

band across the forehead and has degenerated into pain around the

eye, sinus, into the ear and down the neck - and of course involves

the back of the neck, mostly on the right side. There is tightness

on both sides of the back of the neck though.

These headaches are not new for me - although their pattern has been

changing lately and I consider this a good thing - progress on the

way to elimination.

So I knew I was headed for trouble this morning, my right shoulder

hurt - too much reaching for the mouse last night. I think it

tightened up some of those good old shoulder muscles which in turn

pulled on my neck muscles - including the subocciputals. Eventually

it involved the jaw and throat muscules.

So I knew it was coming on and I worked the accuppressure points Mike

recommends from Gach - however I did it in a haphazard way and the

pain from my shoulder travelled up into the head. So I got serious

and did the accupressure points correctly with some relief, then I

used what I think was a polarity technique, with one hand one

forehead and one on back of neck. I also used what I think is a

cranialsacral technique - when laying down with my head relaxed I put

my hands at the base of my skull and felt for the pulses - just held

it for a few minutes and concentrated on relaxing. This helped

relieve the pain in the head, but it remained in the shoulder.

Now I can feel the pain working down my back as the superficial

spinal muscles are contracting and it's starting to work back up into

my head - a typical upper trap pain referral?

When I work the muscles - upper traps and suprapinatus - with the

theracane I can cause referred pain all over, but at this point I'm

not sure what is referred pain and what is just pain. The traps and

wupraspinatus are both rock hard on the right side. The levator

scapulae and the splenius cervicis are also involved - actually when

I press on (what I think is ) trigger point 1 for the splenius

cervicis the pain I feel in my head goes away.

I usually get these headache on the left side - where I always have

shoulder trouble - and sometimes a couple days later it goes to the

right side and then back to the left, etc. Sorta becomes a visious

circle. I believe this one is on the right side today because

yesterday my left shoulder and arm were very sore ie, the muscles

were very tight and pulling on the opposing muscles on the right

side. I added insult to injury on the right side by sitting here

reading and typing posts way into the night with my right arm

stretched out to control the mouse. (Today I have moved the mouse so

I don't have to stretch my hand)

Because I don't really have time for this headache today (like I ever

do) I decided to ice down the area with biofreeze and see if it would

help the muscles relax. I have had good luck by alternating heat

(nice hot bath) with ice (while in the tub) - but thought I'd try

something a little different today. Besides - I've got the girls

cleaning the bathroom right now.

So bottom line with my headache ramblings is that I can control the

pain that goes into my head, but I can't get rid of the cause so it

keeps coming back. Today's plan is to continue to keep the head pain

at bay and work on the muscles that I think are causing the problems.

Mike - I have tons of stories to tell about how alternative therapies

have helped the girls and I. We've also used a few I haven't seen

you mention (I copied that rather longish post about alternative

therapies from a couple days ago) that I can recommend. More later

as time and pain abatement allow.

(and if this is rambling, full of typos, disjointed or

whatever - you all fix it as you read it, cause that's what happens

when I've got a headache :-)