I tried these unusual headache remedies, so you don’t have to

For City, University of London

For as long as I can remember, I’ve suffered from headaches almost every day – be it exhaustion, stress, caffeine withdrawals, there seems to always be one reason or another why my head hurts. In fact, I’m currently writing this with a headache, and reader, I’m sure whenever you’re reading this, I’ll also have one then too. What’s more, I’m not on my own here, the London Headache Centre found that around ten-million UK residents suffer with chronic headaches or migraines. The effects of over-the-counter pain relief, such as paracetamol, have long proved ineffective for me; however, the internet is rife with less conventional fixes, so I thought I’d save you job and give some of them a try. 

1. AROMATHERAPY AND HERBAL REMEDIES

According to various ‘professional’ healthcare websites, these can both prove to be helpful fixes; however, the recommendations differ. I gave lavender oil aromatherapy and ginger herbal tea a try, as recommended by Healthline. You may be wondering why I grouped these both into the same category, and that is simply because, for me, both proved to be completely useless. Lavender oil, for one, isn’t particularly cheap in comparison to 30p supermarket own-brand paracetamol, so I was hoping for at least a tad bit of efficacy. However, to be brutally honest, the strong scent coming from my diffuser actually aggravated my headache symptoms, as did the fiery burning sensation of the ginger herbal tea. 

PRICE – £10 for lavender oil, £3 for herbal tea

EFFECTIVENESS – 0/5 (possibly negative points)

2. THE COLD COMPRESS

Whilst a damp cloth is definitely not the best remedy, there are similar alternatives. Kool’n’Soothe’s ‘cooling gel sheets’ may be the miracle cure I’ve been looking for my whole life. Their easy application and non-medical, pain-relief, cooling gel made them the best remedy I’ve tried so far, and they come in a bit cheaper than any herbal or aromatherapy options. Whilst you’d probably get a few odd stares for wearing one in public, they’re great for conquering that overnight headache, finding myself waking up feeling refreshed and pain-free for the first time in a while. 

PRICE – £3.49 for 4

EFFECTIVENESS – 5/5

3. PRESSURE POINTS & MASSAGE 

Not being one for baseless pseudoscience, I was very sceptical trying out this one; however, with some helpful step-by-step guides from Healthline, I enlisted the help of my partner on the off-chance that this could be my headache Hail Mary. Each type of headache has its own pressure points, which is great if you can figure out the cause of your headache, but not so much if you can’t. From your temples, to the back of your neck, to the space between your thumb and index finger, it seems there is apparently no incorrect pressure point for a headache, but if you’re unsure of where to start, perhaps consult Google. On the whole, I was unimpressed, some of them provided temporary pain relief during the massage, but none rendered too effective. 

PRICE – FREE 

EFFECTIVENESS – 2/5

The bottom line 

If over-the-counter remedies prove ineffective, whilst you may wish to try out these suggestions, please also consult your GP for much more professional and qualified support and advice.