If you have ever suffered from a migraine headache you will know how debilitating they can be, there are of course many prescription type pills aimed at reducing migraine and others that are aimed at prevention, not everyone can tolerate the side effects of these medications and may seek alternative treatments for migraine headaches such as acupuncture, massage, ayurvedic remedies, chiropractic manipulations etc. In many instances alternative treatments can relieve pain just as well or even better than prescription or non-prescription drugs. The possibility of a negative reaction to a safe and natural migraine headache treatment is still there, but it is less with most natural treatment methods than it is with pain-relieving medications.
Every person on the face of the earth is unique, our body chemistry is unique to each us. One person may find relief from their migraine headaches with one type of treatment while another may try that same treatment and experience no relief whatsoever.
We are all made up of a mixture of chemicals
- Histamines will increase gastric secretion and dilate the capillaries
- Insulin is secreted by the pancreas and helps regulate the blood sugar levels
- Hormones are produced by the body for many different functions
- Adrenaline (epinephrine) is produced in response to stress
We are all unique and we all produce different chemicals in differing amounts. When a person takes an aspirin which is a chemical, for their migraine headaches it changes the chemical make-up of that person’s body. When one chemical such as an aspirin is taken by two separate people their reactions will never be exactly the same because no two people have identical chemicals in their body. This rule also applies to prescription type migraine preventatives, as well as natural migraine headache treatments. Since no two people are identical no two people will respond exactly the same to a particular treatment method for migraine headaches.
Natural treatments for migraines
- Chiropractic manipulations – A natural and popular treatment method for migraine sufferers. Studies have shown that over 80% of patients with migraines find some type of relief with chiropractic treatments. Chiropractic treatment has been shown to be extremely safe. Spinal problems can also cause headaches and when treated by a chiropractor a large percentage of patients experience relieve from migraines.
- Biofeedback – A safe and potentially effective way to eliminate pain. Biofeedback is not actually a treatment, but a training program designed to help a person develop the ability to control their autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. Functions that are normally automatic in the body, such as blood pressure regulation or heart rate can be controlled voluntarily. This technique makes it possible for a person to control their own heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature or relaxation of their muscles.
- Medical Acupuncture – Medical acupuncture is safe and effective in treating migraines, it provides pain relief by stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, it releases endorphins which changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord.
What can trigger migraines
- Muscle tension
- Too much salt
- High amounts of calcium supplementation
- Hormonal imbalances
- Food sensitivities have also been shown to cause migraine headaches in some people
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- MSG (monosodium glutamate – a food additive), yeast, wheat, nuts, avocados, beans, bananas, oranges (and other citrus fruits), pork, dairy products, caffeine, chocolate, onions, vinegar (and pickled foods) are just some of the known migraine triggers.
Trying to find out what triggers your migraine will go a long way to finding the best course of treatment for you. A great way of tracking down the cause of your migraine is to keep a diary of what you eat and drink and when. Get a small notebook, with each page representing one day, and make three columns on each of the pages. The first column on the left side of the page will contain the hours in the day. The second column down the middle of the page will be a list of the foods eaten that day. The third column on the right side of the page will list the symptoms (headaches) that you experience.
Managing your diary
- If you had an apple, cereal, toast and milk for breakfast at 8 AM you would write “apple, cereal, toast, milk” in the middle (food) column directly to the right of 8 AM in the left (time) column. Make a note of everything that you eat on this list and at what time you ate them.
- Whenever you experience a migraine headache write “migraine headache” or “headache” in the right (symptoms) column that corresponds with the time (in the left column) your headache began. For example, if you started feeling pain from one of your migraine headaches at 2 PM you would write “headache” in the right (symptoms) column directly across from 2 PM in the left (time) column.
Once you’ve had enough time to experience a few migraine headaches you will be able to examine your food diary to determine which foods you ate shortly before you began experiencing your pain. For example, if you had 3 migraine headaches over a one-month period, and you had milk shortly before each of the migraine attacks, milk may be the culprit. It may take a few weeks or even a few months to come to any conclusions, but over time, by figuring out which foods or ingredients in these foods, are causing your pain, you will be able to eliminate these ingredients and relieve your pain caused by these foods.
You could take this a step further by adding other columns that you may feel could be helpful in tracking down the cause of your headaches. I myself suffered from migraines for a long time, by keeping a diary I found that I was allergic to diesel fuel. A spare can carried in my husbands car leaked slightly, so every time I went out with him in his car I developed a migraine, it took a long time to twig, but thanks to my diary I tracked one of the things that triggered my migraines, MSG is another one that I avoid at all costs.
The Most Effective Migraine Solution
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