Welcome to the final day of the Migraine Series! If you’re just joining, you can catch up here with Day 1 and Day 2.
We’ll wrap it up with at home help for migraines.
Here are some things that I’ve personally done over the years to bring me natural relief from migraines. After spending over a decade at different doctor’s offices and hospitals, taking multiple medications to treat or prevent migraines, and eventually experiencing a total “system crash” in college, I began looking for alternative options to help with my migraines.
Some of the activities and products listed help prevent migraines and promote an overall healthier lifestyle while others are helpful in the middle of the “storm.” Every person is affected differently so use your best judgment and trial and error in approaching these. This by no means is an exhaustive list and is not intended to cure, treat, or diagnoses (i.e. I am not a doctor).
Here are some things you can do that worked for me…
Migraine Prevention
- Regular Chiropractic Care
- Regular Therapeutic Massage
- Regular exercise
- Regular Yoga/stretching
- Adequate sleep in total darkness (no distracting lights)
- Invest in a decent pair of sunglasses
- For those with long hair, keep hair loosely done
- Take a great multivitamin/mineral
- Possibly other supplements, like magnesium
- Avoid medication unless absolutely necessary
- Check for deficiencies (your doctor can do this)- magnesium and vitamin D are very common
- Watch your posture; there’s more to sitting up strait than looking nice
- Sleep on a contour pillow
- Sleep on a quality mattress and/or overlay
- Get adequate water intake. I cannot stress this enough – drink water, drink water, then drink some more! Sip all throughout the day for maximum benefits.
- Have a good support system (stress is a HUGE cause for migraines)
- Ladies should take extra precautions during certain times of the month when hormones play a role in migraines
- Eat a diet consisting of mostly unprocessed foods, heavy in nutrient-dense diet (focus on veggies, fruit, lean meats, & good fats)
- Be sure to check overall health and other symptoms. I had stomach problems in addition to my migraines for years and was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease at age 30. I saw a big decrease in migraines after going gluten-free.
- Consider other elimination diets like dairy-free
- Watch out for other food triggers like chocolate, red wine, and some cheeses.
- Keep a migraine log(<<print a FREE one HERE!) Look for patterns.
- Humidity is a big problem for migraine sufferers. Fight the urge to be frugal in the summer and kick that AC. Also, be extra vigilant when it rains.
Migraine Relief
- Stretch
- Apply Biofreeze to sore muscles and joints
- Use pure Peppermint Essential Oil (diffuse or topical)
- Use pure Lavender Essential Oil (diffuse or topical)
- Use a cold compress, my FAVORITE being a DIY rice pillow you store in the freezer for when the migraine comes. This project is ridiculously easy, even if you don’t sew much. Here’s a tutorial I found on Pinterest.
- Get familiar with pressure points and work on problem areas yourself (or if someone else can do it, even better).
- Practice deep breathing
- Take a hot shower followed by cold compress
- Soak in a hot bath (this is more for muscle triggered migraines; it could make other migraines or nausea worse, though)
- Take moderate caffeine intake. Most OTC have some form of caffeine for a reason. Be careful with this one though; too much and too frequent intake can cause migraines.
- Being in tune with your body. Figure out where the migraine is stemming from. For example, if mine is in my neck, I’ll get an adjustment; if it’s in my eyes, a cold compress and time away from screens will be most helpful.
- Lay in a still in a dark room
- Pray: not just for the pain to go away (although, remember Jesus is the Great Physician) but regular prayer and meditation do wonders for stress which, again, is a major cause of migraines
- Listen to quiet, relaxing music
- Take a brisk walk if the air is cool
The great majority of my migraines come from multiple factors; for example if I need a chiropractic adjustment, I may feel a little achy but it’s unlikely to produce a migraines. If it’s that time of the month, I ate chocolate, I’m running off five hours of sleep, have had way too much caffeine to compensate AND I need an adjustment…well, it’s very likely I’ll get one. The goal is to reduce the possibility as much as you can. You can’t control the rain, but you can control what you eat so be extra careful of your diet on rainy days.
Can’t remember all of the preventative measures and relief tips? Then print your own migraine relief cheat sheet!
This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclaimer in the footer.
Leave a Reply