Band-it

Last month I wrote about José María Morelos, the famous Mexican who fought for his country’s independence.  Morelos suffered from migraines, and used to wrap a cloth around his head to alleviate the pain.

This is actually a common headache treatment in Korea, according to Dr Robert Milne and Blake More, who recommend the treatment for several headache types, including tension, rebound and cluster.  Koreans tie the cloth tightly just above the eyebrows.  According to one study, wearing a snug headband helped 1/4 of the study participants to obtain 50% or more relief.  Not bad.

Another study, reported on in the January 1993 issue of Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, reported that 87% found some relief.  Most of these had relief over 80%, which is significant.

Another treatment they suggest is wrapping rubber bands around your fingers.  Put one rubber band on each finger, at the joint closest to your fingernail.  Leave them on for no more than 9 minutes (remember, your fingers are probably turning a purple and hurting a bit.  We don’t want any finger injuries here!)  In spite of the slight finger ache, you may find your headache is gone.