Headache Remedy

Has any body tried put Vicks "Vaporub" on the soles of your feet every night and using heavy socks to help with their headaches? My sister's physical therapist told her about the home remedy (my sister is going to PT for another matter, not headaches). I've tried it for a couple of weeks, and on days that I have not applied the Vicks, I've had headaches the next morning. i need more testing to say that it is definitely the Vicks that is helping.

My mother who is 95 years old remembers using this treatment when she was much younger.

I am also going to a neurmuscular therapist for the head aches. At 71 years olds and several surgeries, my muscles are definitely all twisted up and may be the cause of my constant headaches. The therapy has helped considerably. This school of massage therapy believes that you treat the whole body. In my case, not just the shoulders and neck area. For example, i had by-pass surgery 16 years ago and a vein was take from the right leg. That would cause my right leg muscles to be tighter than the left side. Thus, causing me my torso and neck to be out of alignment. Any way, I am trying this treatment out.

I've been researching and dealing with Migraines for seven years now and I've got to say that's a new one for me.

-Dan

We've used Vicks Vaporub on the soles of the feet for years, especially when my kids were little and had a bad cold or flu. I have tried it for migraines, as well as my neck and shoulders, but didn't see a big difference. It's soothing, if nothing else, and the menthol helps open up the sinuses.

Becky

I can see one possible explanation - for someone who suffer just headaches, the smell of vaporub emanating from whathever area of the body even from the soles of feet,
can help open nasal pasages and thus help with breathing. And thus relieve stuffines that often result with headache, particularly in the morning.

But I doubt it would help much with migraine.

Risa

Risa, you may be right, the remedy may not do any thing for a migraine headache. As for sinus, my ENT said that I have a stable sinus, so that rules out a sinus infection. He also said my headaches are probably due to a vascular or muscular problem.

I suspect that I have New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH), since I can identify to the day and hour when the headache started. At the mild state, I only have it on the left side and when it gets moderate, it spreads to the back of the head with nausea. My neuro said no matter what type of headache I have he would still prescribe migraine meds for me. I believe that the headache is due to very tight muscles, that is why I go to PT and that has provided me the most relief. I have spent a considerable amount of money for PT, outside my HMO, to get the relief that I now experience.

However, regardless of the cause and why Vicks works, for mild headaches Vicks Vaporub eases the headaches so it is very slight. Finally, it works for me.

Finally, it works for me.

And that is all what matters
Good for you and I can only envy (in a good way)

Risa

I'm definitely going to try it. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything!

Thanks for throwing it out there.

Charlotte

I had heard of that before, but not for migraine, just for headache. I think its the eucalyptus, which is good for headaches in general.

If it works for you, that's great. I love the smell of of Vicks vapor rub