Relieve the Pain of Migraines

When it hits, it can devastate you. A pounding headache, a wave of nausea, disorientation and too much sensitivity to light and sound - these are all symptoms of a migraine. If you're prone to migraines, you may worry that they can strike at any time, disrupting your life in major ways. But there are ways you can lessen your current pain and prevent future attacks.

Here are some ways you can deal with migraines:

• Pray for relief. Ask God to heal you if He will, and to send you the wisdom and grace you need to effectively handle your current suffering.

• Get the proper amount of sleep. Too much or too little sleep can trigger migraines.

• Adjust your diet. Eliminate alcohol, chocolate, cheese, nuts, and dairy products. Also, make sure you eat something soon after getting up every morning.

• Notice what circumstances seem to usher in a migraine for you. Pungent odors from paint, perfume, or freshly cut grass might trigger a migraine. Or perhaps light that's too bright or glaring may set off an attack. Other circumstances that could cause a migraine include being inside poorly ventilated rooms or traveling on a long car trips. Once you discover what particular triggers affect you, make a point to avoid them.

• Check your posture. If you're not holding your neck in healthy positions, you could be setting yourself up for a migraine. If you suspect that you have neck problems, visit a doctor or chiropractor for a checkup.

• Obtain analgesic pain medications to fight migraine pain, then carry them with you wherever you go and have them near your bed with a glass of water each night.

• Take vitamin C, calcium gluconate, vitamin B complex, and folic acid, which can help fight off migraine pain.

• Use an ice pack to relieve pain.

• Take a hot bath.

• Get a head and neck massage.

• Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, three times per week.
  

Adapted from Migraine - Winning the Fight of Your Life by Charles Theisler, copyright 1995 by Starburst, Inc., Lancaster, Pa., www.starburstpublishers.com, 1-800-441-4123.

Charles W. Theisler, D.C., F.A.C.O., is a Board-Certified Chiropractic Orthopedist. He is the founder and director of The Headache Clinic of Northeastern Ohio. He lectures internationally on headache diagnosis and treatment.

Do you suffer from migraines? If so, how does that affect your life? What are some of the ways you've been able to find relief? Visit Crosswalk's forums to discuss this topic: