Pain and Massage

Headaches & Pain Unani physicians, compare headache management to fighting a fire. Here is the analogy: a headache is like a fire alarm. It is a signal that something is wrong. Would you simply destroy the alarm instead of trying to detect the source of the fire, like its done in western medicine? Of course not. But when you pop a painkiller, you are actually trying to shut up your body’s distress signals, instead of discovering and addressing the underlying imbalance. Reputed Unani physicians suggests you take a closer look at your mizaj imbalances the next time a headache hits. Many a time, the culprit is a vitiated Sauda-the most dominant and restless of the three ikhlat. . This is the commonest headache and includes stress induced headaches. However also very common is the Migraine headache. Migraines are commonly caused by excess safra. First let’s think about sauda: HOW VATA HEADACHES HAPPEN: Unani lists several factors that can cause sauda to go out of balance. Some of them are: Not sleeping well Not eating foods that nurture the brain Eating very dry or cold foods Eating leftovers or junk foods Keeping an irregular routine of meals and sleep Overexposure to cool, dry air Excessive reading, television watching or stressing at work * Excessive air travel SOLUTIONS FOR SAUDA HEADACHES: The next time you have a headache, its recommended to do a mental scan to check for the factors responsible. Ask yourself how much of your brain’s capacity you are using. Are you stressing too much? Sleeping badly? Worrying or troubling a lot? Are you working too hard? Do you skip or rush meals? Is your lifestyle chaotic? Next, check your diet patterns. The health of your Sauda khilat depends to a great extent on the kind of food you eat and the regularity with which you stick to your mealtimes. Sauda is appeased when you eat brain-nourishing foods like soaked walnuts, soaked almonds, soaked pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Especially in the context of headaches, foods that nourish the brain are very healing. In general, your food should be warm and unctuous. For example, people who are dominated by Sauda can find plain steamed vegetables too drying. They will feel better when their vegetables and lentils are cooked with a healthy fat such as ghee or olive oil. Further, to keep sauda balanced, include light squashes in your diet. Take fibrous foods. Eating pomegranate soothes Sauda, too specially tis white variety.   Also very helpful is Peace of Mind: the herbs in this beverage are very relaxing to mind, body and spirit. If you dilute one or two tea-bag in one quart of water, and then sip the water through the day, you’ll find it yields even more of a relaxing effect. Massage is another excellent therapy. The simplest way to get relief is to press the back of your neck and your shoulders with your fingers. This relaxes tense muscles. You can also request a friend or co-worker to do this for you. Breathe deep while doing this gentle neck-kneading. Even if you don’t have a headache, a quick five-minute neck massage can take the edge off your stressful day. Be it over-stimulation from long hours at work, or jet lag-you’ll find this a good therapy to work into your day. Giving yourself a whole body oil massage before your bath or shower is highly recommended. You can select a range of oils from Awami Sauda pacifying herbal oils. A gentle head/scalp massage comes with a range of benefits that includes enhanced circulation and relaxation of nerves and muscles. If your headaches are chronic and recurrent in nature, you should schedule an appointment with a good unani physician in your area, who will take your pulse and design an individualized program for restoring balance. Migraines: Often the cause is safra. Your safra can get irritated by too many deadlines, rushed meals, being a perfectionist, irritations and people who aggravate you. Some get migraine headaches when in the bright sun, hot weather, bright light or heat. Another contributing factor is disturbed digestion. Try these self-care recommendations in your diet and daily routine: Follow a safra-pacifying diet. Favor sweet, bitter, astringent, cool, heavy and dry foods. Reduce or avoid foods that are pungent, sour, salty, hot, light and oily. Don’t skip meals. Before bed, drink cool milk (after boiling) blended with a couple of dates. Don’t overwork. Take enough rest and leisure time. Avoid the hot sun and hot temperatures. Stay cool. For any more information or consultation please write at below contacts: Irfan Shahid Awami Laboratories® Email: irfan@awami.com