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A great number of individuals suffer from chronic migraines. They can be debilitating and can last anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days. This guide will cover natural solutions to managing acute or chronic migraines.

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What is a migraine?

Symptoms vary per person, but here are a few characteristics:

1. Severe headache. This may be present on only one side of the head or all over. It is usually very painful throbbing or pulsing sensation, making it difficult to complete any tasks or activities.
2. Nausea or vomiting. 
3. Sensitivity to light or sound. Some just want to curl up under the sheets in a dark room.
4. Auras. These can be in the form of visual disturbances such as be flashes of light, bright spots, and vision loss and usually occur before or with the headache. 

Keep a Journal

If you experience any or all of these symptoms, here are some things you should be keeping track of:

1. Frequency – How often are you experiencing these symptoms.
2. Severity – On a scale of 1-10
3. Symptoms – What signs and symptoms are you feeling?
4. Onset – When did you start to feel it? What were you doing?
5. Treatment – What actions did you take that made it feel better?
6. Length – How long did the symptoms last?

Here are a few things that may help prevent or manage acute or chronic migraines:

Exercise

Regular long-term aerobic exercise may be used to reduce migraine pain severity, frequency, and duration. This could be due to an increased nitric oxide production in the blood, which some scientists believe relaxes and widens blood vessels.

Massage

Massage has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of migraines as well as improving the quality of sleep especially when done on a regular basis.

Chiropractic

Regular chiropractic care can also help to improve frequency and duration of migraines.

Diet

Some foods have been found to trigger migraines. Some common food triggers include:

• processed foods
• red wine
• alcohol
• chocolate
• caffeine

Supplements

A well balanced diet should be the foundation of a pain-free and healthy lifestyle. Most individuals, however, are not getting the amount of nutrients or vitamins that their body needs. Supplementing a healthy diet can be very beneficial. Magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin b2), and CoQ10 are especially helpful in the management of migraine headaches.

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Hydration

Insufficient fluid intake may provoke migraine attacks. Be sure to stay hydrated, especially when active or in extreme heat.

Not sure how much water you should be drinking? Try this Water Intake Calculator from Bodybuilding.com

Sleep

Sleep can reduce the duration of an acute migraine attack. Regulating sleep patterns may decrease the onset of migraines or tension-type headaches.

Essential Oils

Lavender and peppermint essential oils are highly effective in reducing the severity and duration of an acute migraine attack. Lavender can also aid in achieving a more restful sleep!

Please be aware that not all essential oils are created equal. Since there is no FDA regulation, there is no way to ensure that an oil is completely pure and free of synthetic ingredients. This is why I only use dōTERRA Essential Oils as they are Certified Pure and Therapeutic Grade, with rigorous third-party testing.

Conclusion

Migraines can be triggered by a number of things, but there are ways to manage it without needing to rely on pharmaceuticals. Hopefully you found this article helpful! Do you suffer from headaches or migraines? If so, what are some ways that help you manage them?

References

1. Narin, S. O., Pinar, L., Erbas, D., Oztürk, V., & Idiman, F. (2003). The effects of exercise and exercise-related changes in blood nitric oxide level on migraine headache. Clinical Rehabilitation, 17(6), 624–630. https://doi.org/10.1191/0269215503cr657oa
2. Varkey, E., Cider, Å., Carlsson, J., & Linde, M. (2011). Exercise as migraine prophylaxis: A randomized study using relaxation and topiramate as controls. Cephalalgia, 31(14), 1428–1438. https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102411419681
3. Nall, Rachel, “What to know about nitric oxide supplements”, Medical News Today, 18 September 2019, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326381
4. Sheleigh P. Lawler, Ph.D., Linda D. Cameron, Ph.D., A randomized, controlled trial of massage therapy as a treatment for migraine, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Volume 32, Issue 1, August 2006, Pages 50–59, https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm3201_6
5. Maria Hernandez-reif, John Dieter, Tiffany Field, Bernard Swerdlow & Miguel Diego (1998) Migraine Headaches are Reduced by Massage Therapy, International Journal of Neuroscience, 96:1-2, 1-11, DOI: 10.3109/00207459808986453
6. Noudeh, Y. J., Vatankhah, N., & Baradaran, H. R. (2012). Reduction of current migraine headache pain following neck massage and spinal manipulation. International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork, 5(1), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.3822/ijtmb.v5i1.115
7. Tuchin, P.J., Pollard, H., Bonello, R. (2000). A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 23(2), 91-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0161-4754(00)90073-3
8. Sun-Edelstein, C., & Mauskop, A. (2009). Foods and supplements in the management of migraine headaches. The Clinical journal of pain, 25(5), 446-452.
9. Blau JNResolution of migraine attacks: sleep and the recovery phase.Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 1982;45:223-226.
10. Miller, V., Palermo, T., Powers, S., Scher, M. and Hershey, A. (2003), Migraine Headaches and Sleep Disturbances in Children. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 43: 362-368. doi:10.1046/j.1526-4610.2003.03071.x
11. Sasannejad P, Saeedi M, Shoeibi A, Gorji A, Abbasi M, Foroughipour M: Lavender Essential Oil in the Treatment of Migraine Headache: A Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Eur Neurol 2012;67:288-291. doi: 10.1159/000335249
12. Rafieian-Kopaei, M., Hasanpour-Dehkordi, A., Lorigooini, Z., Deris, F., Solati, K., & Mahdiyeh, F. (2019). Comparing the Effect of Intranasal Lidocaine 4% with Peppermint Essential Oil Drop 1.5% on Migraine Attacks: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial. International journal of preventive medicine, 10, 121. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_530_17