SHARE

Pain relieving drugs and a dark, quiet room help my headache disappear. Something else I do, however, is not as typical and really works (not sure where I heard it from): I rub my carotid artery!

Depending on what type of headache I have, if I tilt my head to one side (towards the side that does not hurt; the side of my head that is aching has the "exposed" neck), and if I very slowly and gently rub/massage my neck, especially where the carotid artery is, from top to bottom, it helps tremendously. I recall reading about this, and it had something to do with blood flow, so I imagine (pretend) that I am slowing the blood flow to my aching head and reducing the swelling...it is part "visualization" or "imagery" and part "massage"---so these things may be what is helping, regardless if I am rubbing the exact artery or not. However, it does feel like I am relieving some pressure when I do!