Even though we love both the fall and the winter, there’s a period in between the two that’s actually quite difficult for us thanks to changes in environmental and atmospheric pressure that come with big weather changes. This is because we’ve been migraine sufferers for many years. As we get them so often, we like to keep our alternative migraine treatment methods as natural as possible to counteract any medications we do choose to take, depending on the headache’s severity. That’s why we’ve started using DIY remedies whenever we can!
Just in case you or someone in your family suffers from migraines too and is also looking for alternative natural treatments, here are 15 of the most effective ideas we’ve tried so far.
There are plenty of essential oil roll-on sticks sold in stores that are designed to help with migraines, but in our experience, everyone’s migraines are a little bit different. This means that most people we know prefer a different blend of scents or a different concentration of oils when it comes to their ideal roll-on! That’s why we like making them ourselves. Story of Five shows you how to make a peppermint oil roll-on stick that you can customize a little bit from their basic instructions.
When you get the worst of your migraines, do you find that the pain often congregates in your sinuses, high up around your eyes? In that case, perhaps you’d be better with a scent-based natural treatment that’s a little more direct in the way you inhale it! We’ve tried this steeped hot water facial steamer idea countless times and we find it helpful and effective each and every time. Shwin and Shwin shows you how to make a steamer using ginger, mint, and basil. As you breath the steam in, these scents soothe your sinuses and release pressure.
Are your migraines aggressive enough that you could use something in addition to your steamers or roll-ons? In that case, we’d recommend a warm, calming tea! We love this basil and honey recipe from Cure Joy because, even though that’s not a flavour blend we’d typically gravitate towards, it’s actually quite pleasant. The honey keeps it sweet rather than bitter while the basil reduces swelling in the blood vessels. At the same time, steam from the warm drink soothes your sinuses.
Occasionally, when we’re not getting as much sleep as our bodies really need, we find that the scent of lavender is one of the best things we can possibly use to soothe our heads! Lavender is proven to have an anti-stress effect, making it great for helping you sleep at night but also for reducing anxiety, which is also a huge cause of migraines for many people. We love the way Popsugar mixed lavender with peppermint oil (a proven migraine remedy thanks to its fresh, sinus clearing scent) to make aromatherapy shower tablets. Throw one in the bottom of the tub and let the hot water melt it as you bathe, filling the shower with a scent that calms and relaxes along with the shower’s steam.
For people who enjoy the application of pressure when they have a migraine, few things are quite as effective as a remedy as a good massage! Whether you’re taking care of your pressure points yourself or having someone massage trigger spots for you, you’ll experience some pressure relief either way, but Hello Giggles has also found a way to amplify your massage related relief. They guide you through the process of making a refreshing massage oil from magnesium oil, coconut oil, peppermint oil, and lavender oil. Each of these things is proven to have effects related to relaxation, pressure relief, and healing. Combine that with the nerve benefits you get from the massage and you’d in for some really effective treatment!
Do you find that your migraines cause you to tense up through your shoulders and neck, giving you achy muscles that, in turn, make your head hurt even more? In that case, perhaps you’d benefit from a topical method of pain relief as well! We love this naturally healing anti-pain salve from The Herbal Healing Mama that uses cayenne pepper and cloves to numb a specific area slightly in order to ease your discomfort.
Perhaps you’re also prone to annoying smaller headaches throughout the day, even at times when you don’t have actual migraines? In that case, you might benefit from a small and simple treatment that you can apply quickly and carry with you to school, work, or wherever you’re going throughout your day. This peppermint oil based lip balm from Live Simply is the perfect example of what we mean! Besides keeping your lips hydrated, the refreshing smell of peppermint right there under your nose will help ease some of the pressure in your head.
Are you the kind of sensory person who really appreciates temperature therapy when you have a migraine, depending on the kind of pain you’re experiencing? Well, we can’t say we blame you! One of the most effective ways we find pain relief during very bad migraines, particularly the kind where we experience vision aura, is to apply something very cold to our faces. Rather than just balancing a bag of frozen corn on your head, however, we’d suggest making this awesome DIY gel ice pack from Run Wiki. The gel is great because its squishy texture lets you mould the pack to your face, helping it sit in place better so you can just relax.
Are you very intrigued by the idea of making yourself a very natural headache oil that will make it feel even better when you or someone you trust massages your pressure points, but you’re actually very sensitive to even the gentlest of smells and strong scents are one of you’re migraine triggers? Then we just know you’ll prefer this much milder smelling, nearly scent free massage oil from Radiant Life Catalog. Their tutorial shows you how to make it from beeswax and magnesium oil.
10. DIY headache tea and tincture
VIEW IN GALLERYIf you’re a big believer in the healing powers of herbs and herbal teas because they have an effect that soothes the problem from the inside out, rather than just treating things topically, then here’s a great alternative treatment for you! The Hippy Homemaker suggests brewing yourself a tea made of black tea, passionflower, chamomile flowers, willow bark, peppermint leaf, and feverfew. Besides the calming effect of warm steam, the soothing smell of peppermint, and the slight bit of caffeine from the black tea (caffeine in very small doses is known to help migraines), several of these herbs have anti-bacterial and healing properties. Even though your headaches might not be directly cause by a germ or virus, it doesn’t hurt to take care of other potential illnesses that might give you headaches while you’re at it!
Are your worst headaches always the ones you get when you’re sick, or perhaps when you’re experiencing very bad allergies in the spring and fall? In that case, perhaps a sinus rinse might be what really does the trick for you! We’ve actually tried rinsing our sinuses out with this exact powdered mixture from Health Starts in The Kitchen and found it very effective when mixed with warm water! Their tutorial shows you how to make it from Sea salt, baking soda, and filtered water, as well as how to irrigate your sinuses using a Neti-pot or other nasal rinser.
In contrast to people who believe firmly in herbs and teas, have you always found great comfort and pain relief in topical poultices that have a naturally healing effect? In that case, perhaps you might prefer this spice-based compress idea from Makes Scents that provides a bit of a physical healing sensation thanks to warmth and soothing feelings on the skin, but also some aromatherapy thanks to the way the spices blend to give of a particular smell. Their tutorial suggests making a specifically anti-migraine poultice from grated fresh ginger, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and rice powder. Wrap the mixture in nbleached cloth or muslin like a little package and fasten it shut with yarn!
Perhaps it’s actually one of your kids who is unlucky enough to suffer from migraines so you’ve been scrolling through our list looking for natural remedies that are a little more kid friendly than hot teas and strong smelling poultices? In that case, we think perhaps these warming face pillows are exactly what you’re looking for! Cute DIY Projects shows you how to sew the pillow, fill it with rice so the whole pillow can be safely warmed in the microwave, and soak the rice in lavender oil before you close it so it gives off a relaxing, anti-anxiety scent when it’s heated.
14. Eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender migraine relief balm
What if you’re very open to the idea of aromatherapy but you’ve never actually found just peppermint or lavender effective on their own, nor the combination of just the two things combined? In that case, we think you should try adding just one more ingredient to the mixture before you can the idea of topical and scent-based remedies all together. The Lady Prefers 2 Save shows you how to add eucalyptus, which is another calming natural scent that is often proven to help ease migraines for people who don’t fine peppermint quite effective enough, even in combination with relaxing hints of lavender.
Why not try a special juice that both tastes great and contains several vitamins and nutrients that are proven to help ease pain and prevent migraines from recurring once they’re under control? This juice from Recipes to Nourish is made from carrots and ginger but it tastes almost like a fruit juice, meaning our kids are actually willing to drink it.
