Migraine treatment strategies typically combine acute (abortive) and preventive treatments; finding what works for each individual may take some experimentation and trial-and-error.
Preventive medication can significantly decrease migraine frequency, severity and disability while simultaneously making acute attacks more responsive to abortive therapy and improving quality of life. First-line preventive medicines for migraine include beta blockers without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity such as ATENOLOL(r) (bisoprolol or propranolol) and TOPIRAMATE as first line treatments.
Exercise
Exercise releases chemicals that can block pain signals from reaching the brain while simultaneously decreasing anxiety and stress levels that trigger migraine attacks. Coupled with healthy nutrition, physical activity can greatly enhance quality of life for people living with chronic migraines.
Aerobic exercises that elevate your heart rate such as brisk walking, running, jogging and swimming can strengthen muscles, boost moods and help manage weight. Start slowly before gradually increasing frequency and intensity as time progresses.
Whenever exercising and experiencing migraines, stop for a brief rest until the headache has subsided. Use this time to hydrate and replenish yourself with water or protein drinks.
As part of your regimen for chronic migraine management, exercise should become part of your routine – but be careful to pace yourself and avoid overexertion as this could trigger attacks. Aim for a weekly workout schedule which gradually increases frequency, duration and intensity over 2-4 weeks.
Relaxation
Relaxation techniques may help reduce migraine headache severity and frequency, improving quality of life overall. They are especially useful when combined with other preventive strategies like keeping a migraine diary or avoiding triggers.
Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can both help decrease migraine attacks. If you want to explore exercising as a means of mitigating migraines, speak to your physician about what exercises would best fit your needs; just make sure that any intense workouts don’t trigger one!
Relaxation techniques may include meditation, deep diaphragmatic breathing and massage therapy. Meditation should be practiced at least daily for at least 10 minutes in a quiet place for at least 10 minutes with an eye toward relaxing each muscle group one by one and breathing deeply through each inhale and exhale. Phone calls and other distractions must be put aside during this time; phone use and other forms of entertainment should not interfere. While this practice may be challenging for those living with chronic migraines, its aim should still be the same: reduce stress levels which trigger migraine attacks by relieving stress levels that build up in our bodies over time.
Sleep
An effective night of restful rest can make all the difference, and it’s vitally important that we create a regular sleep-wake pattern. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day (including weekends). Long naps should also be avoided as these could interrupt our natural sleeping cycles.
Exercise has been shown to significantly benefit cardiovascular health and lower the frequency of migraine attacks. Exercise releases chemicals which block pain signals from reaching the brain while simultaneously relieving stress. If exercise sounds like something you would enjoy doing, start slowly and increase intensity gradually to prevent headaches triggering themselves.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help ease mild migraine headaches. Triptans like sumatriptan injection can also be highly effective; these drugs work to stop an aura from progressing further and thus a headache from occurring; however, they don’t treat subsequent symptoms that may emerge from such attacks.
Diet
Changes to your diet may help lessen migraine attacks. Focus on eating whole, plant-based foods while limiting processed ones and staying hydrated – staying hydrated is one of the easiest and most effective lifestyle changes you can make to combat migraine.
Many individuals suffering from migraines attempt elimination diets that restrict entire food groups; however, doing this without consulting with a physician could result in malnutrition. Instead, consult a registered dietitian who can guide your choices toward making safe and healthful dietary adjustments that best suit you.
As well as teaching patients about improving diet quality by adding more high-quality protein sources and decreasing their consumption of fatty foods, it is also helpful to educate them about rebalancing omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid ratios by decreasing processed oil consumption while increasing consumption of walnuts, flax and chia seeds to increase omega-3s in their diets.
