Migraine Headache
Management Tips
Migraine Headache
Management Tips
Everything you need to know about
Migraine Headache Management Tips
Migraine headaches can be disruptive to your life, but there are a few things you can do to control them and minimise their impact. A trip to the doctor can help you figure out the best medication and rest strategy for a specific episode. However, there are things you may do on a regular basis to help reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches.
Listen to your doctor’s advice
Once your doctor has reviewed your medical history and devised a treatment plan for your migraine attacks, it’s critical that you stick to it as closely as possible. In general, your doctor, usually a neurologist who specialises in headaches, will advise you to treat an attack as soon as symptoms appear. This provides you with the highest chance of succeeding. In many circumstances, the medicine and dosage are carefully adjusted to avoid the need for more doses, which can result in a “rebound” or “overuse” impact for some medications over time.
Sleep, Diet, and Exercise
These are three crucial aspects of migraine headache treatment.
A regular routine that allows you to obtain the sleep you need to operate normally (about 8 hours) is critical for reducing the frequency of migraine attacks you have and alleviating their symptoms. Create a schedule that follows your natural cycles. Avoid screen time before bed, and, probably most crucially, wake up at the same time every day.
Diet has a different effect on different people. Look for foods that could “set off” a migraine. A migraine journal may be useful, and your doctor can help you narrow down the possible causes. A diary can also assist you in identifying other factors in your life that may cause a migraine so that you can control them. These might vary from person to person, but they may include:
- Emotional stress
- Physical stress
- Lack of sleep or a change in sleep patterns
- Smoking
- Too much alcohol or caffeine
- Caffeine withdrawal
A healthy, balanced diet and frequent mealtimes can also help prevent migraines. Some people find that eating smaller, more frequent meals help them manage their symptoms even better.
Regular exercise, particularly outside, can help you regulate your sleep and eating patterns, and it appears to be an important element in managing migraine headaches. On most days of the week, aim for 30 minutes.
Obesity increases your chance of chronic daily headaches, thus it’s a good idea to strive to keep healthy body weight. A good diet, exercise, and sleep schedule will help you get back on track.
Relaxation Techniques
People with migraines appear to benefit from meditation, relaxation and breathing exercises, and even mental health therapies. Among the most common approaches are:
Meditation can be approached in a variety of ways. All of this causes you to take notice. This implies you put a halt to your thoughts and focus solely on one thing, usually your breathing. Meditation, also known as “mindfulness practice,” can help you cope with discomfort, including migraines, if practised on a daily basis.
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)
Biofeedback
Yoga
Find Your Community
You can also contact organisations and support groups to see if they can assist you.
The Migraine Trust promotes better headache treatment and acts as a resource for headache sufferers, doctors, other health professionals, and the general public.
For more, visit the foundation’s website, send an email to info@migrainetrust.org, or call 020 7631 6975 for non-emergency migraine advice.
Treatment
Whiplash treatment is relatively straightforward. Doctors sometimes prescribe over-the-counter pain relievers such as paracetamol or aspirin.
Medical treatment
Treatment options include:
- For more serious injuries, prescription painkillers
- Muscle relaxants are used to alleviate muscular spasms.
- Treating the damaged area with ice or heat
Recovery
Physical therapy is crucial in the rehabilitation process. A specialist may be recommended by your doctor. Recovery may also involve the following:
- Neck exercises to improve strength and flexibility
- Maintain a good posture
- Learning relaxation techniques can help prevent neck muscle strain and aid healing.
A foam collar may also be used to keep your neck stable. Collars should not be worn for longer than three hours. They should only be used during the first several days following an injury. Collars, on the other hand, have fallen out of favour with many doctors. It’s thought that utilising it for longer than the recommended time will slow healing.
Alternative aftercare
Alternative pain treatments may also be worth a shot. Some examples are:
- Chiropractic treatment
- Massage, which may help to ease some neck muscular tension
- Electrical nerve stimulation uses a low-voltage electric current to assist relieve neck pain.
- Acupuncture, but no research has shown that it can help with neck pain.
- Infrared sauna treatments and cryotherapy
Outlook
Whiplash causes very few people to have long-term difficulties. The recovery period ranges from a few days to several weeks in most cases. Most patients recover completely within 2 to 3 months, according to the NHS.