When a
migraine attack sets in, all you want is relief. For some people, taking migraine
medication can help ease the pain, says Janine Good, MD, an associate professor of neurology
at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.
But is there anything else you can do to help shorten the attack or make the symptoms more
bearable until the medication starts to work?
If you’re in need of migraine first aid, try the following suggestions. Most of these interventions
are free and come with no side effects.
RELATED: Home Remedies for Headache and Migraine Relief
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1. Rest in a Quiet, Dark Room
Many people with migraine report sensitivity to light and sound, which can make headaches
worse. According to a study published in Nature Neuroscience, the pain caused by light can be
traced to a group of light-sensing cells in the eye called intrinsically photosensitive retinal
ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which help maintain sleep-wake cycles and pupil response to light. In
rats, these cells converge on brain cells that transmit pain.
Exposure to light activates the ipRGC cells and the pain-transmitting cells, and the cells remain
activated for several minutes. The researchers theorize that that mechanism could be the
reason headache pain gets worse in the light and improves 20 to 30 minutes after being in the
dark.
Go to a room that’s dark and quiet, and you may be able to sleep, Dr. Good says. “Not all
headaches respond to sleep,” she notes, but the chemicals released in your brain during sleep
may help ease your pain. Also, she says, if you’re sensitive to sounds, blocking them out could
help.
2. Apply a Warm or Cold Compress to Your Head or
Neck
Place a warm or cold compress across your forehead or the back of your neck.
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“Many of my patients prefer a cold compress,” says Lawrence C. Newman, MD, director of the
division of headache at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City and a board member of
the American Migraine Foundation.
Cold can have a numbing effect. “It distracts the brain from the migraine,” says Good. “You’re
stimulating other nerve endings where you’re putting the compress.”
To protect your skin, keep a cloth between your skin and an ice pack, and if you use a
commercial cold pack, make sure there are no leaks where chemicals could escape and
potentially harm your eyes, according to the University of Michigan Health.
Some people may prefer a warm compress, Dr. Newman says. Heat can help relax tense
muscles. You may also try taking a warm bath or shower.
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3. Hydrate Aggressively
About one in three people with migraine says dehydration is a trigger for their headaches,
according to the American Migraine Foundation. Staying hydrated between attacks, therefore,
may help to prevent some.
Once you feel a migraine coming on, aggressively hydrating may help shorten the length of your
attack, says Roderick Spears, MD, a neurologist and headache specialist at Penn Medicine in
Philadelphia. “Drinking a lot of water can help,” he says.
Have trouble drinking enough water? Try flavoring plain water with a slice of lemon or lime or
adding a small amount of fruit juice. When your water tastes better, you may drink more.
RELATED: 6 Smart Tips for Staying Hydrated Throughout the Day
4. Massage Your Temples
Massage can help your muscles relax, and it’s been studied for pain management for several
conditions, including headache, according to the National Center for Complementary and
Integrative Health.
Whether this helps you depends on the person, Newman says. Some people experiencing a
migraine may be extremely sensitive to touch, and a massage can make them feel worse. This
is especially true for people with allodynia, a fairly common symptom of migraine where people
are very sensitive to touch and other stimuli that isn’t typically painful.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, allodynia can make even normal activities such
as brushing hair or resting your head on a pillow very painful.
5. Try Meditating
As many as 8 in 10 people with migraine report stress as a trigger for headaches, says Rebecca
Wells, MD, an associate professor of neurology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in North Carolina
and director of the comprehensive headache program.
Mindfulness meditation can help people manage stress differently by focusing on what is
happening in the present moment, she says.
“One example that is available to everyone is focusing on a sensation such as the breath,” she
says. It’s natural to still have thoughts and feelings while you are practicing mindfulness
meditation; notice those and then turn your attention back to your breath, suggests Dr. Wells.
Researchers are trying to determine if practicing this type of mindfulness can change a person’s
ability to respond to stress and help in the management of migraine. A 2020 study published
in JAMA Internal Medicine conducted by Wells and colleagues found that mindfulness
meditation may help treat the overall burden of migraine in some individuals by improving
disability, quality of life, and depression.
6. Smell the Lavender
The scent of lavender may have a calming effect, which can also help relieve stress. A clinical
trial published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research found that four weeks
of aromatherapy with lavender essential oil improved stress, anxiety, and depression in a group
of postpartum women.
Lavender oil has also been studied specifically as a migraine treatment. A small study published
in European Neurology evaluated the use of lavender essential oil in people experiencing a
migraine attack. In the placebo-controlled trial, those who inhaled lavender oil for 15 minutes
reported greater reduction of headache severity than those who did not.
RELATED: Best Essential Oils and Scents to Ease Headache and Migraine Pain
7. Prevent Attacks With Exercise
Exercising during a migraine attack can make the pain worse, but exercising between attacks
may help to reduce the number of attacks you have.
Contrary to popular belief, exercise won’t trigger a migraine in most people, says Dale Bond,
PhD, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at The Miriam Hospital and Brown Alpert
Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island.
“In terms of aerobic exercise, we would generally tell our patients to start with walking — it’s
easy, it’s safe, it’s cheap, and it’s practical — and to do that regularly,” says Bond.
That may reduce migraine and prevent migraine attacks through physiological mechanisms —
for example, by reducing inflammation and improving cardiovascular health, he says.
Regular exercise can also help with reducing stress and improving sleep, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
RELATED: 9 Exercise Tips for People With Migraine
The Bottom Line
When used together with medication, these home remedies and lifestyle strategies work for
many people, Newman says. If they don’t ease your pain, however, you may consider talking to
your doctor about making changes to your migraine treatment plan.
Additional reporting by Becky Upham.
