Whenever someone starts suffering from migraine pain, the only thing they want at that very moment is some relief from the pain. Usually, people take specific medications to get instant relief from the pain. However, there are many who prefer to get rid of the pain in a more natural way. Moreover, a lot of times the medications take some time to kick in and help with the pain. There are, however, special natural remedies that can start helping with the pain almost immediately.
The Migraine Research Foundation claims migraine to be one of the most common health conditions in the world. It can occur in both adults and children, and it can also run in families. Around 12 percent of people in the USA suffer from migraine headaches.
Migraine pains can be more problematic than usual headaches. These pains are part of a neurological condition. They can often come with other symptoms like nausea, sensitivity to smell, light, or sound, vomiting, etc.
Migraine pain can be a highly devitalizing, exhausting, and appalling condition that can severely impact the daily life of a person. That’s why it is important to deal with migraine pains instantly. If someone doesn’t want to go for the normal medications, there are other unconventional yet highly effective treatment methods that can help them relieve migraine pain without going for medical treatments. These can often help as supplements to medications too.
Here are some special treatment methods for migraine pain that you can go for-
Resting in a Dark and Quiet Room
As many people report that they suffer from sensitivity to sound and light while facing migraine pain, it is important that they stay away from sound and light during the pain. This can make the pain a lot worse.
Based on a study of Nature Neuroscience, in the eyes, there is a group of light-sensing cells called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. These help to maintain the response of the pupil to light, and also help maintain sleep cycles. These cells converge on pain-transmitting brain cells. They get activated if they get exposed to light, and the pain-transmitting cells get activated too. The mechanism of the cells could be the reason behind the pain getting triggered by light.
The pain improves after remaining in the dark for around 20-25 minutes. It’s better if you can go to a dark and quiet room and get some sleep. Even though all headaches don’t respond to sleep, the chemicals that get released during sleep might help to ease your pain. Also, make sure to block sounds out if your pain gets triggered by sound.
Getting Hydrated Assertively
Based on the reports of the American Migraine Foundation, one in three people say that dehydration is a trigger for their migraine pain. Keeping hydrated regularly can prevent migraine pain to some extent. However, when you start to feel the pain, assertively hydrating can help shorten the length of the migraine attack, according to a renowned neurologist at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, named Roderick Spears, MD.
If you don’t like drinking water much, try adding lemon slices, or other fruit juice, or flavors to your water.
Taking Light Therapy
Light therapy is one of the most effective forms of therapy. Even though light therapy technology has been around for quite some time, it has become popular very recently after numerous benefits of light therapy came to light after extensive research on this technology. Light therapy devices try to mimic sunlight by emitting a strong light, which can penetrate the skin, muscles, and even bones of a person.
The light can be of different colors, such as red, blue, amber, etc. Mostly red light is used, as red light provides the most benefits. Among all the benefits of red light therapy, dealing with pain is one. Red light therapy works on a cellular level to deal with the pain a person is facing. This therapy helps to deal with various types of pain, including migraine pain.
When you are suffering from migraine pain, you can expose yourself to the strong light emitted by a light therapy device. The light will penetrate your skin and muscles and it will generate some chemical reactions and hormones that will help ease the pain. This can be a really effective method for migraine sufferers if they are not sensitive to light.
Using Essential Oils
Essential oils can often be used as natural remedies for various health conditions, especially headaches. There are different types of essential oils out there, among which, the lavender essential oil is most commonly used for headaches. It helps with reducing anxiety, stress, and headaches too. According to a study published in European Neurology, inhaling lavender oil can help reduce the severity of migraine headaches.
Applying a Cold or Warm Compress to the Head or Neck
Applying a cold compress on the neck or head can have a numbing effect, and distract the brain from the pain caused by the migraine. Other nerve endings get stimulated when the compress is put. Make sure to protect your skin by using a cloth to hold the ice pack on your head, or neck.
Also, a warm compress can be used, as many people prefer warm ones over cold ones. Heat compress can help relax the tense muscles.
Final Words
Migraine pain can be insufferable at times, and it is something that migraine patients face a lot. While it is important to take preventive measures so that the pain does not get too severe whenever it occurs, it’s also important to take instant measures when the pain starts to occur. Sometimes medications take some time to kick in, so in the meantime, make sure to go through these mentioned remedies that can help you a lot in dealing with the immense pain. These can also help to increase the effectiveness of the medications you are taking for your migraine pain.