The Best Migraine Relief
Migraines really are one of the worse things in life. If you suffer from them you are in a unique club of people. None of us signed up for Migraine and as many times as we hit “unsubscribe”, they can be relentless.
Over the years I have lost many days due to migraine, laying down in the dark, hoping and praying the pain would go away. I’ve been to my doctor and even to a neurologist who looked at me sadly and told me to add exercise to my day. As a busy single mum, working a full time job, I wondered when I would fit that in.
But he was right, I did need to put self care as a top priority with migraine. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to slow down and look after yourself. I genuinely think most of us are suffering from low grade stress we have gotten used to. It is not normal to have migraines weekly, it’s not normal to be incapacitated due to them, it’s not okay to miss living your life. It’s not okay for people to not understand this silent illness, and give you space, understanding and care.
Never feel bad about taking time for yourself, it is vital in preventing this horrible disorder you never signed up for.
When I got scared at the amount of medication I was taking for migraine, I started to investigate migraine cures around the world. I learned some great tips for combating migraine. They have helped me, and whenever anyone tells me they suffer migraine, I spring into action with this list.
Magnesium
Your best defence is prevention, and I have found taking a magnesium supplement super helpful. Our bodies can be low on minerals as we lack them in our diet, so I take this version as it also helps me sleep well too. Good sleep is also a helpful prevention for migraine, and good health in general. If you’re not keen on taking a supplest for your migraine, you can also take a bath in epsom bath salts a few times a week to make sure your mineral levels stay optimal. Sprinkle a bath with a handful of salt flakes, and perhaps add some lavender oil if you like it. This adds to your quota of weekly self care, slow down, breathe in the lavender, relax. You can also get this in food form, add a few handfuls of spinach, chard, almonds, dark chocolate, bananas*, black beans, lentils and mackerel.
Track your cycle
One of the toughest things of living with migraine is the uncertainty of them. Via cycle tracking, I learned to expect a migraine at the start and end of my period. This is when our bodies lack oestrogen, and this causes the chemical reaction in our bodies for migraine. Your migraine could be hormonal and tracking your monthly cycle will help identify potential attacks. I do this via my Fitbit app, but there are several great apps out there if you don’t have a FitBit. You can also use a regular paper diary. Ideally you should do this for a few months so you can see patterns emerging, so don’t quit if you notice nothing in the first month. Be patient, your body is an open book once you pay attention to it.
Food diary - Food triggers
I used to think coffee, chocolate and cheese were the only foods I needed to avoid, as they were listed in every migraine prevention guide I read. So keeping a food diary was so helpful in identifying my food triggers, and some surprising culprits too! Bananas came out as a top migraine trigger for me, and there was I loading up on them as healthy snacks! They’re loaded with potassium so I was in a vicious cycle of trigger being used a cure. Eggs too trigger migraine for me, although not a heavy one, still not nice. Dairy in general is not great for me, so I went vegan in 2020, and rarely suffer migraines now.
Botox
It may seem extravagant but this is something I swear by. Eye or head muscle strain could contribute to your migraine, so stopping the pain transmission can been so helpful. Your eye muscles are connected to the back of your neck, you may find your instinctively rub your neck when you have migraine without knowing why. Getting into the muscles and helping them NOT do their job has been a brilliant cure for migraine for me. Seek out a very good Botox provider, check for lots of experience, ideally at a more clinic salon than an aesthetic one. Don;t be afraid to ask if they have any experience at combating migraine. Expect to pay anything form £200 - £300 per treatment. Of course, you get the added benefits of smooth skin, but the bonus really is the lack of constant pain!
