Alternative Natural Treatments Can Provide Migraine Pain Relief

If, like many migraine sufferers, you feel you are taking too many pain killers and prescribed drugs, there may be a natural migraine relief alternative that will work for you. Natural remedies can provide migraine pain relief as well as reducing your chances of getting a migraine in the first place.

There are three categories of migraine relief alternatives that you can try:

1. Abortive treatments provide relief for a migraine headache once it has begun by relieving the symptoms such as pain and nausea.
2. Preventative treatments are taken regularly to prevent the onset of a migraine rather than providing migraine pain relief.
3. Dietary supplements provide natural relief for migraines by replacing the natural chemicals in the body that may become depleted causing migraines.

Here are a few remedies in the above three categories that you could try:

Peppermint Oil provides pain relief for migraines

Peppermint oil can be a simple way to achieve migraine pain relief because its cooling properties help you to relax the muscles and blood vessels in the head and back of the neck, easing an attack.

Rubbing a couple of drops of peppermint oil into your temples, onto your forehead, or around the nape of your neck can provide relief from a migraine headache, and the peppermint aroma can help to reduce nausea. Peppermint oil is a migraine relief alternative that can be used in conjunction with prescribed medications.

Those with sensitive skin could mix the oil with a base oil, or alternatively there are some specially designed products available to provide migraine pain relief using peppermint. One such treatment is 4head, which is available in an applicator stick or adhesive strips and contains natural levomenthol, otherwise known as black peppermint.

Herbal treatments provide natural migraine relief

Taking certain herbal migraine relief alternatives regularly, over a long period of time, can reduce the severity of attacks, or prevent them altogether. Although herbal remedies offer preventative treatments, they are unlikely to provide migraine pain relief once an attack is underway.

The most common herbal remedy for migraines is feverfew, which is also used to lower fever, help arthritis sufferers and relieve digestive complaints. A migraine is often triggered by erratic levels of serotonin in the brain and feverfew can inhibit the release of serotonin, reducing the likelihood of suffering a migraine attack.

Although feverfew can be effective for people that suffer from mild migraine attacks, those that experience acute pain and vomiting should try butterbur as a migraine relief alternative. Butterbur has anti-inflammatory properties that will limit the inflammation and spasms of the blood vessels in the head that contribute to migraine symptoms.

You should always inform your doctor if you are taking herbal remedies such as feverfew or butterbur as these can react badly with prescribed medications. If you are looking for a form of natural migraine relief to take alongside prescribed medication you could consider one of the following dietary supplements.

Achieve relief for migraines through dietary supplements

There are many naturally occurring chemicals in the human body, and deficiencies in these can be the cause of migraine attacks. Taking a dietary supplement regularly can be an effective migraine relief alternative as it may reduce the severity or regularity of your attacks.

The two recommended dietary supplements to provide natural migraine relief are magnesium and riboflavin, otherwise known as Vitamin B2. Although you should still inform your doctor if you are taking these supplements, they are generally safe to take alongside prescribed medications.

Author: Lisa Janse

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