How To Stop A Migraine In Progress

If you already have a condition like migraines or headaches, heightened stress can be an aggravating factor and you may notice you are experiencing an increase in symptoms.
 

So what are some things you can do at home to help improve a migraine that is currently in progress? Contact our Mansfield chiropractor today to learn more or read on below.

HERE ARE 4 SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO

Ginger: In a few research studies ginger has been shown to be as effective as triptans, which is a standard migraine medication. Ginger has been found to be as effective for abortive control. This is a safe and natural way to combat a migraine that’s about to happen. What you want to do is get organic powdered ginger in a capsule form. Ideally you want 400-600 mg of ginger in a capsule, which can be found at most local health food stores like Sprouts, and you want to take it at the first sign of symptoms, like when you first notice a visual disturbance or aura coming on. It it doesn’t work for you initially, you can take a second capsule 2 hours later. Taking the ginger should improve the symptoms if it’s going to work for you. Keep in mind not everything works for everyone.
 

Ice: We know that vasodilation of the arteries in the brain can make a headache worse. Right now what we understand about many headaches (especially migraines) is it’s often more of a neurological problem than it is a blood flow problem. Regardless, if the arteries in the neck and brain dilate, you will experience more head pain and pressure. Putting ice on the neck helps control blood flow coming into the brain from the neck. You can use ice on the front and back of the neck for up to 20 minutes or until you feel numb, and then take it off, that can decrease the chance of dilation. So this approach is more of a preventative approach to keep the pain from getting worse.
 

CBD: CBD has been shown to be very effective for people who have migraines. We can either use a CBD with 0 THC, if you are going to be subject to drug testing, or we can use a CBD that has up to the legal limit of THC. The one that has THC has been shown to be more effective because it has more chemical compounds in it that improve people’s conditions. This is known as the “entourage effect.” There are many great stores and companies around that carry a variety of CBD products, so you can check with your local store about that. A mid-range dosage like 50mg/ml is usually a good place to start for migraine management.
 

Air: This is a new and interesting technique that we’re seeing emerge from recent research on improving migraine and head pain. What you do is you use the little bulb you use with young children (the one that suctions fluids out of infants’ nostrils at birth). If you have a headache on one side of the head, you can puff air into the same side ear onto the eardrum for about one minute (3 sets of one minute) to help modulate the pain and bring the pain levels down.