Forget the aspirin and other traditional, pain relieving medications. New research has shown that a 30-minute massage can help relieve both the psychological and physiological state of patients with tension headaches.

The study, which was published in the American Journal of Manipulative Physiological and Therapeutics, found that a 30-minute massage on trigger points improved autonomic nervous system regulation in tension headache sufferers.

Researchers also say that patients who had a massage exhibited a better psychological state and were able to "reduce the stress and anxiety associated to such a disturbing disorder."

Similarly, patients reported a perceived relief from symptoms within 24 hours after the massage. This might mean that massages may reduce the pain caused by trigger points, which would involve an improvement in the general state of patients.

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. According to the Mayo Clinic, a tension headache is generally a diffuse, mild to moderate pain that many people describe as feeling as if there’s a tight band around their head. Triggers include stress, depression, anxiety, poor posture and jaw clenching.

Natural ways to reduce tension headache pain include breathing and relaxation techniques, acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation as well as reducing overall stress.

Headache-fighting herbs and supplements include feverfew, peppermint, passionflower, gingko, cayenne, valerian and chamomile, according to the website Relieve-Migraine-Headache.com.