One of the requests I get most often is for migraine relief. I've put off doing a blog post about as migraines can be as varied as the person who gets them. However this past weekend my son was admitted to the hospital for his first migraine. I figured it was time to address it.

It was horrible. Any parent knows the pain of watching your child in agony is one of the hardest things to endure. Normally my son would get what I would call "student headaches." Headaches from studying, stress, eye strain or lack of sleep. These we have always been able to manage with homeopathic medicines. He hasn't had to take a tylenol in many years. This time was different. It went from a headache to all encompassing debilitating pain in half an hour. The regular homeopathic medicines didn't touch it. I tried everything I could think of. The pain might subside a tiny bit but would return. We ended up going to the ER. We had a great doctor and wonderful nurses that took my son's needs and my request for minimal medication very seriously. He received a CT scan to rule out a brain bleed and then was monitored until the pain decreased and he was discharged.

This is very important. A migraine is a Neurological Event. If this your first migraine or if your symptoms suddenly change or increase dramatically, please seek professional help. Please, don't mess with the brain.

What can you do?

Stop it before it starts. It's not all in your head, the rest of your body can contribute to your migraines. Work with a Registered Nutritionist, Homeopath or other Natural Health care Professional to assess and correct any nutritional deficiencies that may be contributing to your migraines. A Homeopathic Practitioner will look at your history, hormones, previous head injuries, physical or emotional trauma to get to the root cause of the migraines. Homeopathic medicines can help clear the ill effects of these past occurrences and allow the body to function better overall.

Stay hydrated. This is very important. The Standard American Diet (SAD) tends to be very high is salt (sodium). This can throw off the sodium/potassium balance within the body, causing dehydration, fatigue and pain. Potassium rich foods such as bananas, white or sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach and beans. Potassium is neurologically calming. Check out some great electrolyte drinks in my previous blog post, Sunburns and Sports drinks. Electrolytes are essential to maintain proper fluid and mineral balance with the body. At the first sign of migraine eat some potassium rich foods or drink an electrolyte drink.

See a Chiropractor. Chiropractors are experts in neurological health. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can make a world of difference in the frequency and intensity of your symptoms. Regular massage and acupuncture appointments can make a huge difference as well.

Take some extra B vitamins at the first sign of symptoms. B12, B6 and folic acid deficiencies can cause migraine symptoms. If you are prone to migraines make sure you are getting enough B vitamin rich foods like dark leafy greens, brightly coloured vegetables, eggs and seafood. If you need to, supplement with good quality B vitamin complex. However if you find you need a supplement despite eating a diet rich in B vitamins, you likely have a digestive mal-absorption issue. Proper homeopathic and Nutritional care can help correct that.

Apply a topical magnesium oil at the first sign of migraine. Magnesium is a great muscle relaxer and if your migraines are at all tension related, magnesium may be the key to your relief.

Homeopathic medicines are wonderful when carefully selected to your specific symptoms. Your Homeopathic Practitioner can recommend remedies based on your triggers, symptoms or your personal history for you to have on hand and use when symptoms start or for prevention.

*all removed to comply with the government’s censorship of promoting natural health products. Demand a repeal of Bill 47 sections 500-504. see www.nhppa.org for more information

Other natural therapies worth trying include, aromatherapy, acupressure points, EFT tapping and yoga stretches.

Do you or someone you love suffer with migraines? Ready to get some Nutritional and Homeopathic support?

Contact Lisa

My son recovered very quickly. The following day his headache was minimal and responded very quickly to homeopathic medicines. I'll be making sure he's getting all the nutrients he needs in his diet and likely adding some supplements for now. I've ordered some different homeopathic remedies to have on hand in case it happens again and I'll make sure he gets regular chiropractic care again. We are also working with my Homeopath and teacher to get to the root of this incident, clearing any imbalances and past trauma.