The pain of migraines can be debilitating, and living with them on a regular basis can make life difficult. You may already be taking pain medication to combat the pain, but you may wonder if there is anything else you can do to get some relief and lower the frequency of these headaches. Below are some of the natural ways you may be able to cut down on occurrences of migraines.
Start a Food Diary
You might not know this, but some of the foods you eat on a daily basis might be contributing to your migraines. Processed meats and collard greens, for instance, typically contain nitrites that could be a trigger for your headaches. Other foods that some report a problem with include cheese, milk, chocolate and coffee.
Keeping a diary that details the kinds of foods you eat can help you identify which foods may be problematic for you. Once you know which foods contribute to the onset of a migraine, you can eliminate them and hopefully start to experience fewer migraines in the future.
Exercise More Often
It might surprise you to discover that moving around may be able to help you avoid migraines, especially since some people seem to get exertion-type headaches from exercise. However, for people who get migraines, exercise can be a good solution. Even if you can't jump around and run for miles and miles, a brisk walk around the neighborhood may help as well.
If aerobic exercise isn't for you, yoga may also prove to be a helpful option. One study has shown that for people who have migraines without an aura, those who did yoga for three months reported less migraines.
Massage
A relaxing way to reduce the amount of migraines you experience is to have regular massage sessions. Not only is massage therapy relaxing, but it is speculated that massages help relieve pain because the process helps to release hormones and block pain centers in the body. A study found that those who got massages reported better improvement of their migraine pain, and there is some research to show that people who have massages have less frequent migraines overall.
If you decide to try massage therapy, be sure to check with your doctor first, as you may have other health conditions where massage may be contraindicated.
Try each of the suggestions above to help you avoid frequent migraine events. To understand more about your migraines and get more possible solutions, see a neurologist. For more information, find out more here.
Share9 May 2016
As a child, I used to spend my days roaming through the woods. I climbed trees, smelled the flowers, and laid in the grass looking at the clouds. My love for nature continued through my teen years, but when I turned 23, I began to sneeze whenever I left my home. I could no longer enjoy my outdoor hikes and I started taking antihistamines so I could at least open my windows on warm days. My allergies got worse though and I met with an allergist who completed a variety of skin tests. I started receiving allergy shots and my allergist taught me about natural cleaning processes and sinus rinses. The injections and natural treatments improved my quality of life greatly. Even if you do not want to start allergy injections, you have a variety of options that can lessen your symptoms, and you should learn what these options are.
