Are there any good headache cures?

If you suffer from frequent headaches like me, finding some effective cures for headaches has probably been a personal goal of yours. 

I know for me it has been like the search for the Holy Grail. 

I would gladly sell my soul for some kind of magic pill of treatment that would serve as a once and for all cure for headaches.

Unfortunately, headaches are one of the most complicated and poorly understood phenomenons in the medical world.  Have you ever tried asking your doctor about cures for headaches? 

If you ask ten different doctors about headaches, you’ll get ten different answers. 

The reason why doctors give you so many different answers is because headaches can have so many causes, and a lot of them aren’t really clear.  If you get a lot of headaches, the first step you should do is try and figure out what kind of headaches you’re getting.  From my understanding, there are a few different kinds. 

Many people get headaches as a response to physical strain, cramped muscles, and pinches nerves.  These muscular headaches can be brutal, and are usually reoccurring to a very persistent degree.  Usually, there is some level of tightness in or soreness in the area the muscle strain is occurring, like your neck or back area.  Because your nerves in that region are all connected and ultimately lead to your head, strain in your neck, shoulders, or back can produce headaches.  Usually these kinds of headaches start out very localized, but can often spread over your entire head.  Cures for headaches of this kind are difficult, as you have to cease doing whatever it is that is causing the strain, and may need extensive physical therapy to help your muscles recover.

Then there are sinus headaches.  These are especially nasty, but fortunately are rarely a constant reoccurring phenomenon.  Sinus headaches result from pressure in your sinuses, as a result from allergies, colds, or a sinus infection.  If you get sinus headaches a lot, you may be suffering from allergies.  Cures for headaches of this type can range from allergy treatments, to decongestants.  My favorite is Claritin. 

Last but certainly not least, are migraines; everyone’s favorite and the least understood of the headache family.  There are so many potential causes for migraines its not funny.  If you suffer from migraines often, like me, it’s a good start to keep a kind of headache log.  Record hours you slept, how well you slept, what you ate and drank, what you did during the day, anything you can think of and see if you can detect patterns with your headaches.  If you can’t get your finger on it there’s always painkillers.  While they’re certainly not cures for headaches, they are better than nothing.