Treatment & relief for migraine headaches

by Anna Bonner

Migraines: Ever had a sickening migraine headache where all you needed was a good place to lie down? In the dark? But couldn't? So you just popped in some pills and waited...? These migraine treatments may also provide relief for those dreaded headaches.

Migraine symptoms

First off, a migraine is not just a really bad headache. It's worse than that, Jim. Nobody is quite sure what causes a migraine but trial and error has come up with an array of cheap migraine treatments - both migraine cures and preventatives, because sometimes you can nip that pesky migraine in the bud.

Let's have a look at migraine symptoms so you know what you've got is really a migraine headache, not just an escaped wild boar drumming on your skull with a hammer:

• An intense throbbing pain, usually towards the front or side of the head
• Migraine headaches last for 4-72 hours
• Migraines can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and weird visual stuff
• Migraines usually come with a warning signal that they're about to happen called an 'aura'. Unlike comsic auras, a migraine aura ain't pretty. You might see flashing or zig-zag lines before your eyes. You might temporarily lose sight in one or both eyes, with visuals reducing to a pin prick. You might get pins and needles. You might get clumsy, or find it hard to speak, or extremely irritable. What fun a migraine aura can be.
• A migraine headache is usually really severe and pretty much knocks you for six. It's often felt on one side of the head.
• You may get lots of gushing at both ends - migraine symptoms can include vomming and runny poo.
• You may get very dehydrated due to increased need to wee and sweating.
• Migraine symptoms often include sensitivity to bright lights and noise.

Treatment and relief for migraine headaches

Get a Massage.

A migraine the perfect excuse to get a massage - relieving the pain while also getting the perks of a relaxing rub. My friend, a migraine sufferer, reckons it's because the built-up energy needs to be released. To start out, just try putting a little pressure on the needed spot. Add some oils too, if wanted. It helps. If the pain continues to move after, oh, let's say ten minutes, then we know it's sinus related.

Crystal/Stone therapy for migraines

Anyone seeking migraine relief is in so much pain they'll try pretty much anythings. Using the Channeling or Healing Stone method could have the same effect as massage on a pain zone when you have a migraine headache. The crystal or stone aim to absorb the bad energy and emanate good energy. It's worth a try. If you own crystals, find out more about looking after crystals here.

Natural herbal remedies for migraine relief

Try some organic herbal remedies to help ease the pain. Butterbur and Feverfew work the best. It's very easy to grow butterbur and feverfew. You can grow them in a pot on your windowsill, and steep a few leaves in hot water as a herbal tea remedy when the migraine comes. These migraine herbal remedies also come in pill form.

Eliminating 'migraine danger foods' from your diet

Eating a lot of monosodium glutamate (MSG), caffeine, cheese, wine, or even chocolate might be another trigger for migraines. Notice how you feel before and after you eat something. Do your senses numb down? Do you feel more vulnerable? You might want to think about that if you suffer from migraines the next time you eat one of the potential migraine trigger foods above.

Acupuncture.

Completely and utterly natural, acupuncture is another way of providing migraine relief. Though acupuncture does feature the application of needles, there is another option of shiatsu massage, which massages similar pressure points and meridians (points of the body through which energy flows) to acupuncture. Either shiatsu or acupuncture are considered to be of benefit for relief of migraine symptoms.

Are migraines affected by the weather?

How about that weather out there? Does your mind fill up with dread as you see that dazzling sun? Or those gloomy clouds? Just like the diet, think about how you feel after you step out of the house, or after you get in your car. You might just come to some horrific realizations...

Healthy sleep patterns can prevent migraines

Not getting enough sleep can be a major factor in migraines. Students should get at least ten hours, while adults need about eight. Take a nap during the day. You'll be relaxed and headache-free in no time!

Ice.

Remember those little ice packs you used when you were younger? Well, they'll soon come in handy again. Place them where it hurts the most: forehead, neck, etc. Cooling the spot down will help when you're burning up.

Heat.

Opposite of ice is heat. Using heating pads can also help reduce the pain. Heat will relax the muscles and soothe away the pain.

So there you have it - a few potential cures for migraine symptoms. If you need to pop a pain pill, so be it. But there may be other ways to complement your painkiller and provide migraine headache relief a little faster and sweeter. Regular migraine headache sufferers will know that prevention is as important as cure...

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