Blinding headaches can be utterly debilitating and cause a great deal of pain and suffering – the blurred vision, nausea and fever, not to mention the stabbing sensations in the back of your head or intense throbbing in your temples. In severe cases, it can literally bring you to your knees and interfere with your day-to-day activities. So if you tend to suffer from them, it’s important to know what are some effective ways to cure a migraine.
It is estimated that 15 to 20 per cent of women suffer from migraines, making it the third most prevalent illness in the world, according to the World Health Organisation. Migraines are thought to be a hereditary neurological condition caused by a particular genetic mutation. This mutation affects a particular protein that is designed to inhibit electrical activity in the brain. The intense pain is basically the brain getting irritated by something and trying to slow things down. This is why headaches are often accompanied by blurred vision and feelings of sickness.
Migraines can strike when you least expect it and can make your life miserable. But thankfully, there are various treatments – both new and ancient – that can help relieve the pain.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a method for working with your thought processes to change behaviours, but it is also believed to help with pain such as migraines. By using certain visualisations, it is believed that it can help you tackle the problem without using medication, as well as reducing your stress levels.
NLP practitioner Rebecca Lockwood suggests you identify a colour that in your mind relates to the pain.
“Then imagine the colour turning white. If the pain persists, repeat the process until the colour turns and remains white,” she says.
Changes in your vision, or even eye strain, can cause headaches. So if you’re experiencing migraines regularly, it might be worth bringing it up to your optometrist and they can check if your prescription needs to be adjusted.
A US study found that people who get migraines have a different mix of gut bacteria that makes them more sensitive to particular foods. The research found migraine sufferers have more bacteria to process nitrates and suggested that the pains are caused when nitrates in food are broken down more effectively, causing vessels in the brain and scalp to dilate.
“There is this idea out there that certain foods trigger migraines. We thought that perhaps there are connections between what people are eating, their microbiomes and their experiences with migraines,” says the study’s first author, Antonia Gonzalez.
Yoga has various benefits that can reduce headaches – from relaxing tight muscles in your neck and jaw, to boosting blood flow to your brain. One study found that doing a yoga class five days a week, for six weeks, was able to reduce both the frequency and intensity of headaches and migraines.
As with yoga, massaging your neck, jaw and scalp can help to boost circulation and relax mind and body – all of which is conducive to reduced pain.
“A monthly Indian head massage helps me,” says Thira Khan. “I’d been getting menstrual migraines for the past 12 years after I had my daughter. I hate taking tablets, so I decided to try Indian head massage. I’ve found if I get this done a week before my period, I don’t get migraines.”
If you do not have the time to go to the spa, try a self-massage at home: Gently apply lavender massage oil to your temples. Sweep your fingers across your forehead. Continue sweeping behind both ears and down towards your neck with slow, firm strokes.
There is scientific evidence based on an analysis of 16 studies that acupuncture does seem to help with headaches. This is an option for people who are looking for alternatives or are looking to supplement their medication with Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Many people swear by External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation devices (e-TNS). This small machine can be used at home. You place it on your forehead for a short time and it sends a current into your brain that is believed to interrupt the activity associated with a migraine. Studies have been encouraging – 85 per cent of acute migraine sufferers testing an e-TNS device experienced pain relief. Talk to your doctor before using such a device.
Text: Lizzy Dening/bauersyndication.com.au