Estelle Coombe-heath – How To Soothe/Manage Migraines Naturally
If you have ever experienced one, even just hearing the word Migraine could send you scurrying to a dark room reaching for your lavender eye pillow. Having experienced Migraines for may years, I know how unpredictable they can be and figuring out the triggers can be tricky. For some people, migraines can last a few hours but for others, myself included, it’s not unusual to be confined to a dark room for a few days.
There are several migraine triggers and even though some triggers can be managed, such as stress and avoiding certain trigger foods, others are out of our control. Some of these triggers include sensory stimuli, changes in weather patterns, and hormonal fluctuations.
Moreover, preventing migraines can be a challenge and taking migraine medication can leave you feeling groggy and hung over. Thankfully, there are natural ways to help soothe and manage them.
Here are a few of my go-to remedies comforting a migraine:
Mindfulness
*Research has shown that yoga and mindfulness can be a commentary method of managing migraines. Mindfulness practices can take many forms, yoga, breath-work, meditation, mindful walking, consciously staring into a flame, or making a gratitude list.
Mindfulness as a stress management tool can go a long way in reducing migraine frequency and in some cases the intensity. When I incorporated mindfulness practices into my daily routine, there was a noticeable difference in the frequency and duration of my migraine attacks.
When you practice mindfulness, you can pick up on early warning signs of a migraine, consequently, you can take measures to manage it early which usually helps to soothe or diminish the intensity of the attack.
Keep A Migraine And Food Diary
For some people, migraine triggers could include certain foods, these include certain cheeses, alcohol, cured meats and food preservatives.
Paying attention to foods that you have eaten 20 minutes to 2 hours before your migraine started can give you an indication whether these foods could be a trigger. Avoiding trigger foods can be of assistance in migraine relief in the long run. In addition, there are plenty of foods that can help, these include fresh water, fresh fruit and vegetables, rice, some fresh meats, poultry and fish. In some cases, consulting a natural health professional on magnesium supplementation could be of benefit.
Essential Oils
In my experience, essential oils have made a massive impact on reducing the intensity and duration of my migraine headaches. Rosemary, patchouli and basil has given me some of the best results. I add the oils to a diffuser the moment I feel a migraine brewing. In addition, massaging some lavender and peppermint essential oils combined with a carrier oil, into the back of my neck during a migraine attack has helped to soothe my symptoms.
When it comes to essential oils, it might take some experimenting to determine if they will assist in giving migraine relief. Some scents might also be triggering so be mindful of how essential oils affect you and your migraine.
Acupressure
Stimulating certain acupressure points is a relatively safe way to relieve pain, **studies have shown that acupressure can reduce the frequency and duration of migraine attacks.
Effective acupressure points for migraine are:
- the space between you index finger and thumb,
- inner wrist below the thumb
- the jawbone just below the ear
Letting Go Of Perfection
This might not make sense at first but are you being too hard on yourself? According to Louise Hay in her book ‘You can heal your life’, migraines are a symptom of the desire to be perfect. That desire to be perfect can add so much pressure in our already stressful lifestyles. Notice if self-criticism is a pattern for you and let go of the unrealistic expectations you set for yourself. This is not the easiest of tasks, but I have noticed a change in the way I handle life, and this practice has relieved some of my mental stress and the intensity of my migraine headaches.
In short, there are numerous natural remedies to soothe and/or manage migraines naturally not all remedies will work for everyone, the above list of remedies are what have helped me during some of my darkest migraine days and I share this with you in hope that it could be of benefit to you. If you do experience migraines on a regular basis, I know how debilitating they can be, it’s therefore of benefit to check in with a natural health professional to monitor your symptoms.
Do you use natural remedies to soothe your migraine? What are your top natural tips and how are you implementing them?
About The Author:
Estelle Coombe-heath is the #1 authority in helping career women overcome binge and overeating using my signature Quit binge eating formula.
From a background in business analytics, Estelle now leads various programs on changing mindsets around eating and healthy food choices. She supports her clients to cultivate healthy eating habits and to build trust with food.
As a holistic health coach, Estelle infuses yoga, mindfulness and energy medicine into her consultations with clients. Passionate about holistic health, she sees yoga as a therapy for the mind and soul considering herself fortunate to facilitate yoga experiences. Estelle sessions encourage clients to dive into the self-transformation that health practices like positive mindset, yoga and meditation can provide.
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