However, according to research just released by consumer group Choice, regular use of over-the-counter painkillers can actually cause more frequent and severe headaches.

Although over-the-counter analgesic medications such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen are gen- erally safe and provide temporary relief of symptoms, doctors are increasingly seeing the effects of analgesic overuse - in particular headaches caused, paradoxically, by the very medications taken to treat them.

Choice has also questioned whether painkillers can really target different parts of the body as claimed by drug manufacturers, and discovered the ingredients of analgesic products are often identical.

"This means painkillers act sys-temically rather than locally. The drug is absorbed into your bloodstream and accesses most tissues in your body, not just the site of pain," said Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn.

"A product marketed for back pain doesn't only go to your back. It will treat any pain, anywhere, which just goes to show you don't need to empty your wallet by filling your medicine cupboard up with a different pain-killer for each part of the body."

When used correctly, painkillers can be helpful for people with chronic headaches. But Choice found regular use of painkillers may alter the processing of pain signals in the brain, making you more sensitive to pain and affecting how your brain naturally deals with it.

"In response, you take more painkillers - and the cycle continues. After a while, your body becomes used to the presence of a certain level of the drug and stopping it results in withdrawal," Mr Zinn said.

'Medication overuse headaches' can arise from taking as few as 10-15 doses of painkillers a month, depending on the individual and the type of painkiller used. Paracetamol, NSAIDs (including ibuprofen, naproxen or diclofenac) codeine and triptans are all implicated.

The CHOICE report suggests a number of natural alternatives to analgesic medications including Feverfew, a herbal remedy, found to reduce the incidence of migraines as have riboflavin (vitamin B2) and magnesium supplements.

"There's so much choice these days, it's difficult to know exactly what you should be taking to effectively reduce pain symptoms, so if in doubt get a specific headache diagnosis from your GP," Mr Zinn said.

* To access the full report visit www.choice.com.au/headache