Holistic Treatments For Migraines

Migraines affect three times as many women as men, according to The Mayo Clinic. Several medications treat migraines, but finding just the right medication to treat individual symptoms can take time and frustrate patients while they continue to suffer migraines. Holistic treatments combine numerous methods to manage migraines and possibly prevent future occurrences.
Before beginning any holistic regimen to treat illness, talk to a doctor about the possibility of medication interactions with holistic therapies.

Lifestyle

Modifying lifestyle habits sometimes eliminates or reduces migraines. Regular exercise, proper amounts of sleep, stress reduction, regular meals at regular times, and avoiding stimulants such as cigarettes and caffeine help lessen the incidence of migraines. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping a headache diary to identify triggers and remedies. Although not every person experiences light sensitivity, resting in a quiet room and applying pressure to the parts of the scalp where the pain is centered may ease symptoms.

Food Triggers

Fermented and aged products such as cheese, vinegars, cider and alcohol have a tendency of causing migraines, according to Phyllis A. Balch, CNC in her book "Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing." Peanuts and peanut products may include mold and can trigger a migraine. Balch states that preservative and nitrate-laden foods, such as bacon, hot dogs, salami and other cured meats, as well as artificial sweeteners also have been linked to migraines.

Supplements

People who suffer migraines frequently have low levels of magnesium in their blood tests, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM). The UMM recommends a daily dose of 200 to 600 milligrams daily. To balance magnesium, a calcium dose consisting of half the dose of magnesium needs to be added to the daily supplements as well, according to Dr. Linda B. White and Steven Foster in their book "The Herbal Drugstore." Melatonin in a 5 mg. dose before bedtime, as recommended by the UMM, may reduce the likelihood of being awakened by a migraine.

Homeopathy

The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends several homeopathic migraine remedies. Migraines with a quick onset have responded to belladonna. For pain radiating from the back of the head, gelsemium may help. Kali bichromicum lessens migraines centered on the forehead and between the eyes. Nux vomica alleviates severe acute pain that occurs with nausea and dizziness. Sepia works well to relieve migraines with nausea that are helped by lying down.