If you want to try some complementary therapies to help alleviate your migraines, whether in conjunction with traditional pharmaceutical medications or as a form of pain management on their own, these might be some good ones to try.
Hot/Cold Packs
Depending on whether your blood vessels swell or constrict during your migraines, using either an ice pack or a heat pack on your forehead, scalp, or neck could help to alleviate the pain. You might need each to find out which one works for you.
Regular Exercise
Not one for when you are in the grips of a migraine, but rather one to try as a method of reducing the number of migraines you get. Taking part in gentle, low-impact exercise (swimming, yoga, or cycling are all good options) on a regular basis can help to reduce some migraine triggers, e.g. stress and a low-quality of sleep.
Magnesium
You could take magnesium as a supplement (after checking with your doctor), or you could try and eat more whole grains and dark-green vegetables which are high in magnesium. Although no good for relieving a migraine attack when it’s in progress, some studies have shown that taking magnesium supplements can help to prevent them.
Regular Sleep
Getting too much, or not enough, sleep can be a migraine trigger. Setting yourself a regular bedtime and a regular waking up time that you stick to each day (some exceptions for special events of course) should help to guard against sleep disturbances as a migraine trigger. A good guideline is to aim for between seven and eight hours a night.
Butterbur
This plant has traditionally been used as a way to treat pain for many years. In some studies, it has been found that taking an extract of butterbur helped to reduce the number and intensity of migraines for some sufferers.
There are more non-pharmaceutical things you can look at for reducing your migraine frequency and intensity, but these are some of the easiest ones to try.
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