It’s hard to believe that summer is in full swing; children/teens are finishing school for the summer – some graduating, some moving to the next level of schooling. It’s a fun time for the “kids” but can be a stressful time as parents, worrying about how the children are being taken care of during this summer vacation time.

Migraines, often triggered by stress, are the third most common health condition in the world. Affecting about one in seven people worldwide makes them more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined.

This is amazing to me when you think about how little emphasis is put on a cure for migraines or even more effective prevention. However, because the symptoms of a migraine are often very severe, migraineurs often go to great lengths to reduce the pain. These measures include simple but more uncommon remedies for head tension such as rubbing lavender or peppermint essential oil on your forehead and neck to eating a slice of toast or some other type of carb to help you through.

Migraines are thought to be genetically inherited, so as a migraine sufferer, one way to think about a migraine is that you have inherited a “sensitive nervous system.” This results in your being very sensitive to environmental changes both externally and internally.  Not sure what internal environmental changes involve? Well, these could include a shift in hormone levels – including the drop in estrogen that occurs just before your menstrual cycle, after child birth, and during peri-menopause. On the other hand, external factors would include such things as stress, weather shifts – such as barometric changes and high altitude – and certain foods (especially those containing preservatives and additives). There are lots of other factors that can act as a trigger; things like alcohol, skipping a meal, and lack of sleep/disrupted sleep.
While birth birth control pills are sometimes prescribed for treating migraines – especially when there are hormonal triggers, and preventative medications are another widely prescribed “solution,” you can also “think outside the box” for more natural solutions to migraines.
Identifying and avoiding triggers as much as possible is an important first step. For example, if your migraines are triggered by skipping meals, try to make an effort to eat regularly.

Stress is one of the more common migraine triggers, but there are various natural stress-reduction methods that you can use to help reduce migraines. Exercise is a great addition to your daily regimen for stress reduction. Yoga can be especially helpful. My advice to clients is to use regular aerobic exercise.

Better sleep routines are extremely helpful in reducing migraines. Sometimes people have some type of an underlying sleep disorder for which you might need to consult a doctor. However, for the majority of migraineurs, learning to keep the same sleep and wake time, and not getting too much sleep is a great start. In my migraine program, I do teach you how to better your sleep habits and how to incorporate certain routines into your daily life for better quality sleep patterns.

For migraine sufferers, it is very important to pay attention to foods and ingredients that may trigger migraines. There is a comprehensive list in my migraine book, but here are a few – MSG, artificial sweeteners, and nitrates. The best way to track your triggers is to use a migraine diary and journal to track food triggers and environmental triggers. There are also some apps for your phone which can help track your migraines, sleep and triggers, such as MigraineBuddy which is available for Android and iPhone.

If you try adding some of these to your daily regimen, let us know how they work for you. As I said, we are all unique and what works for one of us may not for for another, so try it for yourself and see if it has a positive effect on your migraine experience.

Each one of us reacts differently to different things – there is no one-size-fits-all with migraine treatment. However, with that said, if you or a family member have frequent migraines, then I would love to be able to help. I can help you implement some strategies and teach you how to maximize your prevention and help during migraine attacks, and help you to live with less pain and less days of debilitating headaches. Simply contact me to book an appointment for assessment so that we can map out an individualized treatment and prevention plan.  To schedule ==>CLICK HERE<==

To learn more about natural ways to relieve migraines, check out my book,

“The Ultimate Migraine Handbook.”  ==>CLICK HERE<==