Migraines--Follow Up!

I have suffered from migraines for many years. You may have read my first post on migraines a couple of years ago. I would like to share a compilation of the info I have accumulated thus far on my journey, in case it may help someone out there...

Weather-related Migraines.
Combination salt tablets (I use Dr. Schussler's) are amazing at preventing many of my migraines, especially the weather-related ones. I take four under my tongue per day (I stay on these all the time, every day). If I know there is a weather pressure system coming or if I feel the beginning stages of a migraine, I take four more tablets in about an hour. It is also recommended to take BioStrath drops every day to aid in the absorption of the tissue salt tablets. I stay on these drops every day just as one would a multi-vitamin.


Another help to me has been my neti pot. I put 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1 tablespoon aloe vera juice (to lubricate) into one cup of filtered, boiled and cooled water. You need double recipe to do both sides. You can watch how to do this here. Neti pot helps to keep sinuses clear so there is not so much pressure to cause a migraine when the barometric pressure gets intense or otherwise.


I do have medication (sumatriptan) from my medical doctor to take if I happen to get one, because if I don't ward it off right away, I start vomiting and cannot stop.


From the pharmacist, I learned that migraine medication actually contains very strong salt, among other things. This was interesting in light of the helpful, natural salt tablets!


Hormonal Migraines.
Another help I have found for my hormonal migraines is magnesium bisglycinate. This was on advice from my naturopathic doctor, and has cut down most, if not all, my hormonal migraines. Just two a day. Chasteberry is another herbal help. I am planning to get some tests done soon to see if I'm low on estrogen.


Stress-related Migraines.
Another huge help to me has been Stott Pilates exercise. Any exercise will help, but Pilates involves stretching muscles we tend to forget we have. We carry stress in many areas of our bodies, and we can forget those areas. So I find that a good Pilates workout helps me to release those areas and this releases toxins. Learning to utilize stretching, even throughout the day, helps a lot. Example: Concentrate on stretching the shoulders when you realize you are tense.


Note: I do not recommend yoga or acupuncture. Some have claimed benefits from these. However it's my understanding that intermediate to advanced yoga leads you into meditation and anti-God worship, and acupuncture is also an avenue for demonic oppression. You can read more about potential demonic entry points here.


The Role of Your Gut.
The role of your gut is important to consider. You are not healthy if you are not having two, preferably three, bowel movements a day. And, not to be gross, but those BMs should float, not sink to the bottom of the toilet. So if this is not true for you, the first and foremost thing you should do is to focus on drinking more water. We always hear it, but it's true. There is no better thing you can do for your body than to drink at least eight tall glasses of water per day. One thing that has helped me with this is to get a water bottle and figure out how many of those I need to drink in one day. You should be drinking half your body weight (pounds) in ounces (i.e., if you weigh 100, you should drink 50 ounces of water per day).


You should also consider getting on a very high count of pro-biotics. It should be one with 50 billion cultures per capsule. These can usually only be found, refrigerated, at a local health food store. (It's usually better to go to a privately owned store, not a commercialized chain such as GNC. I get most of my natural health supplements at Maya Natural Health store in Woodstock, Ontario. Secondarily, I shop at Zehr's in the natural foods section, because sometimes they have the same products at a lower price.)


Another helpful benefit (again, not to be gross!), is coffee or plain water enemas. If you massage and block off the part that goes into your stomach, and allow the water to back up to that point, you can dump the toxins in your pancreas. You'd be amazed how you feel after a coffee enema! Just don't do it in the afternoon or evening... You won't sleep that night!


The Role of Your Neck.
Another thing that has greatly helped me is chiropractic care. A good chiropractor will not take you quickly "in-and-out" of his/her office, but will carefully spend time and seek to find the source of your pain, rather than just treating the symptom of pain. He/she will methodically adjust the whole spine, including the top vertebrae (C1 and C2)--I think it feels as if they are actually in your skull! I also sleep on a "water" pillow from the chiropractor now and use a horseshoe shaped pillow for when I'm on the laptop in the recliner--I have to be very careful with that! Anything being out can definitely cause migraines, but especially the top vertebrae. Click here for an explanation of chiropractic care and a diagram of the spine.


A friend of mine (Chandra) shared: 

My [chiropractic] x-ray showed I had a "head forward position." Instead of curving like a banana, my neck was completely straight. We started going three times a week ... and within THAT WEEK my migraines were gone! I was at the point of having several migraines a week. With three kiddos, it was not fun. I would get migraines when the weather changed, when the time of the month came, and any other time it just wanted to rear its ugly head. I have not had so much as a Tylenol with this pregnancy!! I have been migraine free for almost one year!! I honestly cannot believe the difference it has made. We still try to go two times a week, but sometimes just can't make it. But even if I do miss a week I have not had one reoccur, which to me is a miracle!! 

Calendar and Food Diary.
There are so many paths on the road to alleviating migraines! The first thing to begin doing is to keep track of your migraines on a calendar so that you can begin to see if there is a pattern. You may even need to keep a food diary in order to pinpoint any food allergies you may have.


I know how you feel! If you need to talk to someone who's been there, message me. I understand, and I will pray for you!