For anyone who has suffered a migraine at any point in their life, they will attest that a migraine is certainly not your average, everyday headache. The unimaginable torture of a migraine can include disorientation, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, and a whole host of other symptoms associated with the condition. The numbers surrounding migraine sufferers varies, but it is now believed that approximately 10% of the adult population throughout the world suffers from migraines during some form in their life.
Migraines can come on due to stress, hormonal changes, or many other life factors and where doctors, can help significantly, up to 50% of all migraine sufferers choose natural, self-medicated solutions instead of receiving prescription medication from their GP. When migraines have you down for the count, try these 5 effective migraine treatment options.
Supplements Can Help
Migraine pain can sometimes be attributed to a lack of nutrients in the body. Our food provides most of what our bodies require, but additional nutrients is often necessary to keep everything working as it should. Studies on supplements vary, but one study found that patients who took riboflavin supplements in increments of 400 mg daily reported far fewer migraine days.
Additionally, those who took CoQ10 showed a significant reduction.
The downside to supplement use is that not all supplements have the nutrients they claim. Supplements are not regulated as regular medications are, so be careful where you purchase your supplements from. They can also take months to improve migraine pain.
Relaxation Techniques
Stress is a common factor with migraine pain. Doctors will often tell patients to work to reduce common stresses in their life, but that is easier said than done. We all have families, careers, and social obligations that bring about stress. These factors will not go anywhere, but often, the key to alleviating migraine pain is not what you take out, but what you choose to put in.
Relaxation techniques are amazing tools for alleviating migraine pain, but it does take an effort to embrace these tactics. Mindfulness techniques allow you to be more aware of your body and listen to what it is telling you. Often, migraine sufferers turn to the relaxing techniques of Yoga and Thai Chi to effectively relieve migraines and become more in tune with their bodies while relieving stress from their lives.
Acupuncture
The ancient art of acupuncture originated in China and slowly spread across the world. Today, acupuncture is still practised in countries throughout the world, but some remain sceptical of this treatment known to involve a series of strategically placed needles. The actual science surrounding acupuncture is primarily based on pressure points within the human body and it is said that certain pressure points control pain receptors in our brains where migraines tend to attack. For those who struggle with side effects from over the counter and prescription medications, acupuncture can provide significant migraine relief, provided the patient is not frightened of needles.
Ice Packs
Temperatures have a lot to do with how much we feel pain. With migraines, pain is concentrated in specific areas of the head or can even feel like it encompasses the whole scalp. Certain pains within the body require the use of heat, but heat placed where migraine pain is evident can sometimes exacerbate the symptoms making everything worse. The solution for migraine pain is with ice. The cooler you can make the area, the calmer and more pain free you will feel. This type of therapy is great for those that have occasional migraine pain, but not as effective when migraines are a more chronic condition.
Chiropractor
Migraine pain, as stated previously, can stem from stress, anxiety, hormones, and a variety of other issues, but sometimes, the pain comes from physical problems that cannot be seen on the outside of the body. Our bodies are supposed to remain in perfect alignment, but often, an unaligned spine or other area of the body can bring on migraine pain. Among the most successful, natural migraine cures can be found at your local chiropractor.
Chiropractors are trained to know and understand the body in a way that the average doctor cannot. Instead of focusing attention on the need for pharmaceuticals, a chiropractor focuses on realigning the body to alleviate pain. The best thing about chiropractic services for migraines is that relief is often felt immediately and a readjustment down the line is just an appointment away. Many migraine sufferers schedule regular chiropractic visits to keep their body aligned and migraine pain at bay.
No matter if your migraine pain happens a few times each year or more often, you need to find a credible solution for relief. General medications can only do so much and have sometimes terrible side effects. These natural solutions have proven remarkably effective at relieving migraine pain, so try one next time you feel a migraine coming on.
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