A Practical Guide to Managing Headache is the first book in The Self-Treating Patient series. There is that chasm where a patient is left once conventional treatment options fall short. A patient then becomes the self-treating patient.

Even a "minor" headache can take the joy out of enjoying quality time. Headaches diminish quality of life. As physical therapists, we find this, every day, in patients we see. This book contains practical tips and strategies from a physical therapist. This book can be a helpful addition to the arsenal of alternatives and options for the sufferer.

Excerpt from the chapter After Seeing My Doctor, What Else Can I Do?

"If posture is not corrected, the care provided at the clinic will be fruitless. Biomechanically speaking, for every inch of forwarding deviation of the head, there is an equivalent additional load of about 15 to 30 pounds placed on these muscles. This doubles the weight of the head, forcing these muscles to contract for prolonged periods throughout the day. Muscles can only contract for a specific period before fatigue and spasms set in. The simplest motion of aligning your head and neck back towards your mid-line eliminates this excessive load and induces the relaxation of the muscles of the head and neck."

Simple exercises are available to relieve tension in the head, neck, and upper tips. Find out if a pool noodle an be used for relieving neck tension and headache. Learn about the different physical therapy modalities commonly used, like TENS (transcutaneous electrical neurostimulator), ultrasound therapy, ETPS (electro therapeutic point stimulator), and acupuncture pens. Learn a simple reflexology technique for relief. Discover if kinesiotaping is efective for headache. Who would have known that a simple neck towel roll technique can be useful? You'll also discover other simple tips and home remedies in this book.

This book also simplifies the anatomy of headache and the classification and types for better understanding of the conundrum that is a headache.