Looking to Banish Pounding Pain? These Techniques Will Help You Relive Headaches Naturally

If you're dealing with a nagging headache or a painful noggin-splitter, all you want is for it to disappear — fast!

Here, doctors share their advice on how you can stop the pain in as little as 30 seconds — with no expensive prescription medicines!

"If you need a quick fix, stretching exercises can give quick relief with no equipment necessary,” said Dr. Michael Rowe from Spine Care in St. Joseph, Mich.

There are small muscles in the base of the skull called suboccipital muscles that get irritated by cell phones or driving or lots of things we do in the modern world, doctors say. And we can ease that irritation with exercises.

First, get comfortable in a chair. Start with your left hand and make a fist. Put it on your chin and push. Place your other hand flat on the back of your head. Then push with your fist and with your hand for about ten seconds. Almost instantly, the muscles will relax, and you’ll feel relief. Do this three to five times.

In another stretch, Rowe said take two fingers and place them on your chin, then press your head into your fingers with a simple chin tuck. "Keep going as far as you feel comfortable,” explained Rowe.

Another thing you can do is place both hands them flat on the back of your head, interlocking your fingers. Tuck in your chin. Push with your hands, tilting your head down as far as possible, then keep it there if you feel comfortable, and release. Do this three to five times.

Another technique is to sit in a chair, and taking two fingers from each hand, place them behind your ears on the base of your skull. Do a circular motion massage on the muscles, avoiding any bone. Do these three to five times for as long as you feel comfortable. “It feels great,” said Dr. Rowe.

If these exercises don't work, try these other helpful tips:

Place ice cubes wrapped in a towel or a bag of frozen vegetables on our head.

Place a heating pad on the back of your head. If that doesn’t work, try placing a warm compress on your forehead to expand the blood vessels, improve circulation and help alleviate pain.

Stress headaches can be alleviated by the flowing water or steam. Take a long, relaxing shower. You can put a towel over your head and inhale steam from a vaporizer or pan of boiling water. Be careful not to get too close.

You may not even realize it, but a headache can be a signal from your cells that are very thirsty and drying out! A headache could be a sign of dehydration. Give them a big drink of H2O and they’ll stop complaining almost immediately!

Block out as much light and noise as you can.

It works well if your headache is caused by stress from looking at a computer or TV screen too long.

Niacin (vitamin B3) expands blood vessels, flaxseed or ginger root can slash headache-causing inflammation, and cayenne pepper can wipe out the chemical that sends pain signals to the brain.