Migraine Truths or Myths?

If you’ve ever suffered from a migraine, you know it’s so much more than a mere headache. Symptoms include throbbing pain, nausea, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound, and migraines can last from four hours to three days (although some can drag on longer). And the mysterious nature of migraines—they can strike frequently and without warning—take a heavy toll on your emotional wellbeing.

The first step in living well with migraines, experts say, is to arm yourself with the latest information. Being in-the-know gives you the power to minimize the frequency and severity of your headaches. To start you off, here are eight facts and fictions about migraines. Do you know which statements are true and false?

Erin O’Donnell is a former editor of Natural Health magazine. She writes about health and wellbeing, and lives in Wisconsin.

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Migraines Usually Involve Pain on One Side of the Head

TRUE

Researchers say that in 60 percent of cases, migraines feature pain on just one side of the head. Still, some migraine sufferers, an estimated 40 percent, experience pain on both sides.

Migraine pain generally throbs or pulses. Sufferers often feel the pain behind their eyes, ears, or at their temples, although any part of the head can be involved.

Keeping track of the location of the pain can help you and your health care practitioner choose the right treatments.

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Most “Migraines” Are Actually Sinus Headaches

FALSE

True sinus headaches are relatively rare and almost always accompany a sinus infection.

It can be easy to confuse the two headache types because migraines sometimes cause sinus symptoms, such as pain high in the cheeks and a stuffy or runny nose. But if those symptoms come with moderate to severe pain, nausea, and/or sensitivity to light, you probably have a migraine.

It’s important to know which type of headache you have to get the right treatment.

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Women Are More Likely than Men to Suffer from Migraines

TRUE

The Society for Women’s Health Research reports that three out of four migraine sufferers are women. Researchers suspect fluctuating estrogen levels play a role. Some data show that more than half of migraines in women occur right before, during, or after a woman has her period. It can help to track your cycle and avoid migraine triggers around this time.

Interestingly, boys appear to be more likely than girls to suffer migraines in childhood, but they switch places at puberty.

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Extra Sleep Can Prevent a Migraine

FALSE

Although lack of sleep is a common migraine culprit, too much sleep can also bring on a headache. Avoid oversleeping; aim to get six to eight hours a night. Some headache experts also advise migraine sufferers to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day.

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Cheese Is a Common Migraine Trigger

TRUE

Aged cheeses, including parmesan, cheddar, blue cheese, and feta, contain tyramine, a migraine-causing chemical. Tyramine is also found in alcoholic drinks (especially red wine), processed meats such as pepperoni, sourdough bread, and soy sauce.

You might also reduce migraine severity and frequency by reducing your intake of other trigger foods, including chocolate, citrus fruits, avocados, bananas, and caffeinated drinks. Some researchers believe that diet may be responsible for up to 30 percent of migraine headaches.

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Snacking Between Meals Can Prevent Migraines

TRUE

Going for more than a few hours without eating causes your blood sugar to drop. This causes brain changes that trigger migraines.

Never skip meals, and keep wholesome snacks on hand to nibble between meals. Some possibilities to consider: yogurt topped with fresh fruit, low-sugar instant oatmeal, and hummus with carrot sticks.

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Migraines Generally Worsen with Age

FALSE

Here’s some good news: Your migraines may actually improve in time.

A 12-year study of migraine sufferers at a Swedish headache clinic revealed that 29 percent of migraine sufferers stopped getting the headaches as they grew older. Of those who still had migraines, most in the study reported that the headaches grew less frequent and less painful.

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People Generally Feel Great the Day After a Migraine

FALSE

More than half of migraine sufferers experience the so-called “migraine hangover,” which can last up to two days after the pain stops. Also known as the “postdrome” phase, it can include fatigue, irritability, fuzzy thinking, and sore muscles.

Being aware of this final phase allows you to treat yourself with compassion if you feel down after a migraine resolves.

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Natural Migraine Relief with Energy Healing

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Notice Your Body

From an energy perspective, migraine headaches don’t actually start in your head. They are the result of a system-wide energy contraction that originates in your gut. In Chinese medicine terms you probably have some “stagnant liver energy”—or chi, the Chinese word for life force energy. So next time you have a headache, take a minute to notice how your entire body feels. Can you inhale deeply? Or is their some tightness in your chest? When I used to get migraines, my muscles would be so tight that my whole body felt encased in armor. You want to be able to take a full breath, from your belly to your collar bones. So with conscious intention start to breathe in and out from your abdomen. Don’t force your breath. Just let it come from a deep, safe place in your belly.

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Take a Hike

When you have a migraine, the energy is up in your head and you need to get it circulating through your entire body. If you can bring yourself to get out of bed (and sometimes you can’t), go for a walk. This will pull energy into your feet and legs. Hiking will also naturally get your breathing to open up. It will calm and energize your whole system. Walking can be an aerobic activity (especially if you can take on a hill or canyon) that allows your heart rate and breathing to naturally harmonize.

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Get into the Flow with Water

Drink water, more water than you think you need. You may be a little dehydrated without realizing it–a state that can often contribute to migraines. Even if you aren’t, drinking plenty of water will put your body into a natural flow state that is very healing. Shoot for two quarts or more over a few hours. As you imbibe, your body will naturally begin to relax. When it comes to healing, one of the key words is flow: flow of energy, flow of every rhythm in your body. Water helps with all of this.

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Get Upside Down

If you do yoga, this is the perfect time to work it out on the mat. Go stand on your head or practice your shoulder stand. This may seem like a contradiction to the idea of taking a walk—putting more energy in your head. But as incredible as it sounds, it can feel great. These postures will begin to balance the flow of your energy. If you can stand on your head, it will have an instantaneous healing impact, opening the channels from head to toe. I have felt my energy shift immediately in a headstand. But any and all yoga postures will help since yoga is designed to balance our prana, the Hindu word for subtle energy.

If a headstand is too much for you, try a gentle forward bend. Place your feet paralell on the floor, just underneath each hip. Put your hands on your hips. Bend your knees and slowly bend forward from your waist. You can intensify the stretch by reaching your hands toward the floor. You may find, if you are patient, that your back will begin to open up and you will be able to reach the floor with your fingers. Just allow yourself to deepen into the pose. Breathe slowly and deeply. And stay as long as is comfortable. Do this stretch as many times as you like.

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Do a Gentle Healing Meditation

Lie down somewhere quiet with your spine straight, your feet apart, and your hands relaxed near the sides of your body. This is called the “corpse pose” in yoga. Now simply focus on your breath as it comes in and as it goes out. After a moment, try this mantra: As you breathe in, think to yourself, “I am the pure self.” Then breath out, “I am radiantly healthy and deeply relaxed.” Do this for as long as you can, anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. You are literally re-programming your subconscious mind, carrying the message of radiant health to every cell in your body.

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Smell the Lavender… or Peppermint

Pick up a bottle of lavender and/or peppermint pure essential oil from a health food store and dab a few drops on your temples, neck, and even under your nostrils. Or put a few drops in a hot bath, light a candle, close the door, slip into the tub, let the steam rise, and relax. Other scents generally recommended for migraines include rosemary, sandalwood, and eucalyptus. You can also mix a few of these oils together. Frankincense, which has been burned in temples throughout Egypt, China, India, the Mid-east and Europe for thousands of years, may also help. Migraines often are accompanied by anxiety, depression or sadness and Frankincense can lift the spirits. If you dab a drop on each temple and between your eyebrows, it will also help deepen your breath, relax your nervous system, and still your mind.

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Get Metaphysical

Migraine headaches form a contraction in the head muscles. When you have a migraine headache you also have a knot in your sixth chakra, also known as the third eye. In my experience, one cause of migraine headaches is fear. This may be a fear of seeing something that you are not ready to see. Ask yourself: “Are there any dynamics in an intimate or work relationship that are troubling me? Is there some way I’m not following my inner guidance?” There may be something you’ve been afraid to look at or admit to yourself. Or there may be something you’ve been afraid to act on. Migraines are often there to guide us. If you can identify and deal with an emotional or psychological trigger, your migraine headache may miraculously release. For me personally, this is the best healing tool of all. As soon as I see what’s bothering me, my headache goes away.

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Take Care of Basics

Steadily maintaining balance in your body may be the best migraine prevention. Make sure you get enough sleep. Stress is also a major trigger, so if you find yourself getting wound up at home or work, give yourself a time out. Eat regular meals that include protein. Also be aware of any foods that trigger migraines for you. For instance, I discovered that I simply can’t drink alcohol. After more than a few sips, I start to get a headache. Caffeinated coffee also became a no-no for me. A little awareness can go a long way in preventing migraines.

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Clear the Air

Are you exposed to things like cigarette smoke, moth balls, heavy perfume, or even pressed-wood furniture? Chemical smells can trigger or exacerbate a headache. Make sure that you are in a clean, safe environment, where the very air doesn’t cause you to contract.

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Put Yourself First

If you have a headache, or sense one is brewing, start your healing process immediately. If you catch and tend to it early with these tips or any others you’ve discovered, you can sometimes avoid a migraine altogether. At the very least, you can heal from it more quickly.

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Get an Energy Support Team

Remember, if you have any medical questions always go to your doctor. If you want help in re-balancing your energy, visit a good acupuncturist or energy healer. They often can help you clear a headache as it occurs. Plus, over time, working with an energy professional can resolve the underlying causes of migraine headaches and help you live a happier and headache-free life.