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Muscle tension headaches
Two years ago, I started to suffer from unusual headaches. After various tests, I have now been told these are muscle tension headaches. I now take a prescription painkiller which helps, but it has side-effects. Is there something more natural I could use?
Many headache and migraine sufferers report excellent results when they take the herb, feverfew - but since this can take three or four weeks to kick in, I am going to recommend a less well known, faster-acting herbal remedy.
Boswellia is a powerful anti-inflammatory and vascular-supporting herb produced from the gum of the Indian boswellia serrata tree. The key active ingredient is boswellic acid, which is as powerful as Ibuprofen, and is extracted from the resin of the trunk of the tree. The way it will work to relieve your headache is to open up the blood vessels that are constricting and causing pain as a result of muscle tension.
This will tackle the pain but not the underlying cause, which you will still need to address. Lots of people now use yoga to help counter muscular (and psychological) tensions, but few people have heard of Viniyoga which combines the Eastern tradition with a more Western and individualised approach.
I like this form of yoga because it recognises that not everyone has a body that is flexible enough to contort into many yoga postures, and that forcing your body into some of the asana (postures) will do more harm than good. Viniyoga lessons are taught on a one-to-one basis and you will be given a practice programme tailored specifically for you and designed to eliminate that tension from your neck and shoulders. To find out more about this type of yoga and to contact a qualified Viniyoga teacher, check out www.viniyoga.co.uk.
*Solgar's Boswellia serrata costs £14.75 for 60 veggie capsules. For local stockists, call 01442-890355. Do not confuse Boswellia serrata with Boswellia carteri. Both are often called frankincense, but they have different actions in the body.