Even worse, migraine-headache-pain often comes with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and an intolerance for noise. That's not to mention an abhorrence for aromas. That tuna sandwich that someone is eating from two doors down can be a real trigger for migraine sufferers. Even the pleasurable smell of an essential oil that the patient typically LOVES can seem offensive when they're suffering from a headache.
My grandmother Mary often treated her migraines by putting both of her hands into hot-as-she-could-stand-it water. From an Eastern Medicine perspective, the reason that alleviates headache pain is because migraines are caused by an excess amount of energy in the head. Heat draws blood to the surface, so by putting her hands and/or feet into a bucket of very hot water, blood (life energy) is pulled AWAY from the head; giving my grandmother some relief.
I've also studied aromatherapy, and while many scents are intolerable when someone has a headache, most people can whiff lavender essential oil and feel relief for as long as they are inhaling it. Neuroscience preaches that we cannot experience both pleasure and pain at the same moment in time. So I've put this practice (of whiffing the top of my Lavender essential oil jar) to the test. The problem with this "remedy" is it only works for as long as I am breathing in. As soon as I exhale? The migraine pain races back!
I've also tried meditation, thought control, and soul travel during a migraine, and even when I'm a rather strong-willed person, I've not been able to stay in my body during a migraine and mentally remove that pain using a spiritual practice.
Because no remedy for migraine is perfect, people start looking at what CAUSED the headache. While dehydration is the number one culprit for causing headaches, some migraine sufferers are triggered by food allergies or by their body's need for magnesium. That's why many women, in particular, crave chocolate when they have a headache. Chocolate is high in magnesium.
Whatever sort of headache inspired you to read this far into the article - know that there are acupressure points between the thumb and first pointer finger that can help to diminish the pain of some headaches.
