As we all know, migraines and headaches can be very debilitating; especially with the holiday season, the last thing you want to happen at your work holiday party or family gathering is to feel a migraine coming on.

If you suffer from intense headaches often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, you may be having migraines – you are not alone; migraines affect 39 million men, women, and children in the U.S. alone. Almost everyone could either name someone who suffers from migraines or struggles with migraines themselves.

If you are one of those people, here are some ways you can decrease the intensity of your headache or migraine at home without having to take pain medication!

 

Tips/Tricks:

  • Try using ice and/or heat to decrease the pressure in your head
  • Drink more water
  • Essential oils – try using peppermint and lavender oils. Put peppermint oil on your temples and lavender oil under your nostrils to help decrease stress and intensity of your headache.
  • Exercise and Yoga – staying active will always benefit you. It is easy to just rest and try to relax when you have a migraine but stretching or doing light cardio can help increase the blood flow and loosen up your muscles. This will soothe the pressure in your head.
  • Tape two tennis balls together and use this to loosen up the muscles behind your head. Place the two tennis balls right at the base of your skull while you lay down. You can either lay here and the gravity do its work or you can gently tuck your chin to increase the pressure on the back of your head. This will help calm down your muscles behind your head which will assist in decreasing your headache.

 

 

Lastly, did you know that migraines can even be triggered by certain food or drinks?

With this being said, it is important to understand and try to pinpoint which foods or drinks seem to always result in headaches. Keeping a food journal can be a helpful tip in deciding what may be affecting you negatively time after time. It is also important to note that skipping meals at their normal time can bring on migraine symptoms as well. Try to stick with your schedule and keep it as consistent as possible!

Other migraine triggers can be:

  • Lack of sleep
  • Caffeine
  • Stress and Anxiety
  • Physical Exertion

 

 

These are our top tips for reducing the intensity of your headache or migraine at home. If you have any questions about how to perform any of these examples, please feel free to reach out and speak with one of our experienced therapists.

Call us at (904)-280-2001 and we’ll be happy to help!