How to Get Rid of a Headache or Migraine (Fast Natural Relief)

Start with the fleshy webbing between your thumb and forefinger. Pinch it between the thumb and finger of your other hand and pulse slowly, working around that whole muscle. This spot is a classic go-to for tension relief.

How hard you press depends on your headache. A dull ache needs light pressure, a pounding one can take more. Work one hand for a minute, then switch and do the other. It's an easy place to start because you can do it anywhere, even at your desk.

Move up to your shoulders. Use your fingertips in a back-and-forth motion across the tops of the shoulders and down into the base of the neck. You're trying to get blood moving through muscles that lock up when you're stressed or hunched over a screen.

Tight shoulders feed a lot of headaches, so don't rush this part. Knead any knots you find and let the muscle warm up under your hands before you move on.

Bring both hands to where your skull meets your neck. Press your fingers into that ridge at the base of the skull and along the sides of the neck. Go slowly and hunt for the sore, sensitive spots. Your head can feel extra tender during a headache, so ease in.

This band of muscle at the top of the neck is where a lot of tension headaches build. Hold steady pressure on the tight areas and let them soften instead of digging in hard.

Run your fingers up over the tops of your ears and across your whole scalp, making small circular movements. You're mapping the head for tender points, especially along the lines where the skull bones meet.

Allergy and sinus headaches often leave sore spots right in those seams. When you find one, hold direct pressure with your fingertips for a few seconds. That steady pressure can take the edge off sinus pressure surprisingly fast.

Bring your thumbs to the inner ends of your eyebrows, right along the brow bone, and press with a steady compression. Then work outward along the eyebrow and gently underneath the eye socket.

This is one of the best moves for sinus headaches, tension headaches, and the chronic tightness that sits behind your eyes. Close your eyes, hold each point for a few seconds, and let the pressure release built-up tension across your forehead.

Find the masseter, the thick muscle on the side of your jaw. Clench your teeth for a second and you'll feel it pop out under your fingers. This muscle is one of the strongest in the body and it takes a beating if you talk a lot, smile a lot, or grind your teeth.

Press into it and roll over the muscle while you slowly open and close your mouth. Look for the tender points and melt into them. People with TMJ and tension headaches often carry a lot of tightness right here.

Bring light back-and-forth strokes to the front of your neck in the soft triangle zone below the jaw. Keep the pressure gentle here. A lot of headaches trace back to tension in this area, so give it some easy attention.

To finish, rub a menthol or eucalyptus balm into your neck and shoulders. Those cooling herbs penetrate the tense muscle and help it relax. After a full pass like this you should feel real relief. If your headaches are severe, frequent, or come with vision changes or numbness, see a doctor to rule out anything serious.