Everybody gets headaches, and they are never fun. People of all ages get them and they can sometimes be unbearable. Migraines are even worse. As common as migraines are, the exact cause is not entirely understood. While the pain of a migraine is linked to white blood cell constriction, the actual cause of a migraine seems to point to problems with the Central Nervous System (CNS).
Common Migraine Causes
There are a number of triggers and causes of migraines. A migraine can be due to a dietary change, hormonal changes, changes in stress levels, or any of the following reasons:
- stress or tension
- sinus problems
- lack of sleep
- dehydration
- alcohol or caffeine
- sensory stimuli (bright lights, loud sounds, or strong smells)
- medications
- lack of proper nutrition and minerals
As soon as you feel a migraine coming on you want it gone, so here are some natural remedies.
Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is a natural remedy for migraine, and it smells good too! Whether you want to inhale the essential oil or apply it to the skin (do not take it orally unless you dilute it in a beverage or oil), lavender can help curb the pain of a migraine. Place about 2-4 drops of lavender oil in every 2-3 cups of boiling water if you opt to inhale the vapors, or you can use a diffuser if you have one. If you want to topically apply it, you can use it in combination with the next natural remedy. When you use lavender oil, or any essential oil, topically it is important to dilute it as the skin can be extremely sensitive to the potency of the oil. A 2% dilution is recommended. Mix 12 drops of essential oil with each fluid ounce of cold-pressed carrier oil, lotion, or natural moisturizer. Some labels on essential oil bottles will also explain how to dilute them.
Adding Pressure
Because congested sinuses or sinus problems can cause migraines, applying pressure to the craniosacral system can relax your brain and reboot it without pain. The pressure on these spots makes the craniosacral system stop, rest, and start over. It is not recommended to do this if you have a condition with increased pressure on the cranium.
Ginger Root
Ginger root is your friend, your healer, and a great natural remedy for migraines. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and can help digestion. When you ingest ginger root, lipid production begins in our cells, and lipids help to calm nerves that react when you feel pain. Peel a piece of ginger root and chew on it or drink ginger root tea to help reduce migraine symptoms.
Get Herbal
There are many herbal remedies that have natural pain relieving properties. Ingesting herbs is the best way to achieve quick migraine relief. You can also concoct an herbal tea of cayenne pepper, fresh ginger, and peppermint leaves. Steep that in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes and drink to say “adios” to that migraine. Other herbs, which are used in aromatherapy, have anti-inflammatory properties, and naturally relieve migraines, include rosemary, willow bark, lemon balm, butterbur, and valerian. If herbal tea isn’t your literal cup of tea, try making a migraine-soothing lemonade with raw honey, distilled water, lavender oil, and the juice of six lemons.
Proper Nutrition
The most important thing you can do to keep migraines at bay is to maintain a healthy diet. Contaminating your body with processed foods, junk foods, salt, sugar, alcohol, caffeine (coffee being the biggest one to avoid), meat, and dairy products can largely contribute to migraines. By switching to a more plant-based or raw foods diet, you can still get the proper nutrients you need without the added chemicals that other foods have in them. There are pain-safe foods, which never contribute to migraines. Broccoli, spinach, chard, collards, carrots, sweet potatoes, summer squash, cherries, cranberries, pears, and raw nuts and seeds are beneficial items to eat daily. A lot of those foods are high in magnesium, which lowers stress levels. It’s also important to keep a balanced diet too. You don’t want certain minerals or vitamins to outweigh each other. By maintaining a well-balanced diet that provides you with the proper nutrients you need, you’ll be less likely to develop migraines. Let us know if these natural remedies helped relieve your migraine.
