The Natural Fix: To reduce muscle tension, which may help relieve headache pain, apply an ice pack to your neck and upper back, or ask your partner to massage those areas. Likewise, any stress-reducing activity, like taking a warm bath, going for a walk or lying down can help to treat headache symptoms. If you suffer from frequent headaches, taking magnesium, riboflavin or coenzyme Q10 supplements or herbs like feverfew, lavender and chamomile has been shown to ease headache and migraine pain. But the supplements or herbs must be taken daily (even when symptoms aren’t present) for a few months before they will begin working. For chronic headaches, acupuncture is one of the most effective treatments. One German study of more than 15,000 patients suffering from either migraines or regular tension headaches found that when acupuncture was used in combination with typically prescribed treatments (such as over-the-counter headache meds like Tylenol, muscle relaxation techniques or prescription migraine medications) the frequency, pain and intensity of participants' headaches or migraines decreased markedly compared with those in people who didn’t receive acupuncture.
Ailment: Head Cold
Your Go-To: Downing fluids, soup and a decongestant, like DayQuil or Sudafed.
The Natural Fix: If you wake up with a runny nose, or just feel generally under the weather, make a tea with fresh ginger, garlic and the white portion of a green onion, boil for about 5 minutes and drink while still hot. (Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, while garlic is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial.) Don’t feel like going through the trouble? Any store-bought beverage or food with those ingredients, like ginger tea or soup with garlic (just add a touch of garlic to Mom's chicken noodle soup) will work just as well. If the cold has already had time to set in, there are many Chinese herbs that have been shown to have antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties, including Yin Qiao San (for a fever or sore throat) and Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao San (for a headache or stuffy nose). In addition to supplements, mild exercise may help open clogged sinuses, while massage has been shown to help improve immune function.