As a child I remember my Mum's weekly trip to the hair-dresser. She set this couple of hours a week aside for herself without fail, and came back refreshed, relaxed and looking ten years younger. My Dad's visits were less frequent, but I know he secretly enjoyed an excuse to relax with a hot towel and closed eyes.

Life is stressful. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the stress and responsibilities of the day, forgetting that the worries reflect not only on our mind and emotions, but also on our bodies. Many physical ailments and symptoms can be traced back to the levels of stress in our lives, and it is important to remember that time spent relaxing is not time wasted - it's time invested. Learning to decompress is an important step on the road to whole body healing.

There are many health problems associated with stress, and migraine is high on the list. Tension, sinus problems and a multitude of everyday things can cause them, but getting rid of migraines is not so simple. We know we should have early nights and spend time relaxing - yet we never seem to make the time to do it. It often takes a conscious effort to make time for taking care of yourself, but you will find it pays off in many positive ways. Even if you need to continue taking daily or incident-targeted migraine drugs, alternative, holistic methods like the ones outlined below give medications a better chance of performing at their full potential.

Nowadays many beauty salons offer relaxation therapy along with the traditional cut and dry. Don't let the expense throw you; it's comparable to the cost of many prescription medications for migraine, and could be more valuable in the long run. Check and see if the salon offers discounts if you bundle services or sessions together, and try to have a standing appointment once every two weeks or so. Buying a series of sessions has the added advantage of encouraging you to make it to every appointment.

Indian Head Massage, or Champissage is one of the most popular natural salon treatments for migraine. With its origins thousands of years ago in India, head massage for stimulating hair growth was practiced within the family. Through the years, it has evolved as its beneficial effects for a wide range of conditions have been documented.

A thorough massage of this type does not even require disrobing, and can be performed with the recipient sitting or lying down. You will want to remove glasses and any jewelry, and possibly loosen your upper garments (consider wearing a loose, wide necked top to your appointment). A proper massage will include the face, ears, neck and shoulders in addition to the scalp. Some say that if you are given such a massage as soon as you become aware of your migraine warning signs, it may never develop. You may come to appreciate it to the point you will be asking if your masseuse offers emergency after hour sessions, or house calls for those unexpected migraine attacks!

If you have had a migraine in the past 24-48 hours you may wish to postpone this type of massage as the scalp and neck may be too tender. Other reasons to avoid intensive head massage include severe eczema of the scalp or spinal problems.

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