Treating migraines holistically means treating the mind, body and spirit together. Some use holistic treatment synonymously with natural or alternative therapies. The common idea is to maintain a balanced health and lifestyle to avoid migraines.
Prevention
Learn what triggers your migraine headaches, be it a type of food, certain lighting, environmental causes, stress or lack of sleep. Pay attention and keep a journal if you must to keep track of patterns. Knowing these triggers, avoid them or minimize them as much as possible.
Gentle Yoga
A small study done by researchers in India noted that migraine sufferers benefited from doing gentle yoga exercises, yoga breathing and yogic meditation. The study was done comparing a group of people practicing yoga for prevention of migraines and another group receiving education on lifestyle changes as treatment and prevention of migraines. The group practicing yoga claimed migraine attacks occurred less frequently and with less intensity within a few months, whereas the other group claimed their migraines remained the same. Doing yoga during acute attacks may not help minimize pain.
Acupressure
Acupressure, the stimulation of acupuncture points, is used to stimulate points to relieve tension and reduce pain. For a simple treatment, massage areas with the pads of your finger including LI-4, the fleshy portion between your thumb and index finger, GB-20, the depression at the base of the skull midway between the earlobe attachment and the spine, and GB-7 through GB-12, the area above and around the ear. Use the tip of your thumb to apply hard pressure to LV-3, the depression on top of your foot between the tendons of the big toe and second toe and GB-41, the depression 1 to 2 finger-breadths proximal from the knuckle of the little toe on top of the foot. End the session by twirling the little toe and tug on it to release some energy.
Acupuncture
The insertion of hair-thin needles along meridians and assorted places on the body can help balance the body. Oftentimes, it relieves the headache or reduces the pain dramatically by redirecting the energy flow, increasing or decreasing blood flow to certain areas, and--as some medical experts believe--stimulating the release of endorphins to relieve the pain. The use of needles for migraine treatment should be left to a professional.
Herbs
For a natural alternative to taking synthetic drugs, try herbal remedies. Many toot the effectiveness of Feverfew, a plant from the daisy family, as a great anti-inflammatory and preventative herb for migraines. Some believe Feverfew can relieve the blood vessel constriction that causes migraines. Take white willow bark in addition as this herb helps relieve pain and is known as "natural aspirin."
Energy Healing
Pranic healing and Reiki focus on healing the auric body, or the energetic levels of a being. Migraine pain can show as excess energy, blocked energy, even low energy. By using one of these energy-healing techniques, you can re-balance the energy level, clear away excess or stagnated energy, and minimize the migraine pain. Try this basic pranic technique: spread the fingers slightly and sweep them 2 to 5 inches away from the painful area on the head in a downwards direction with intentions of clearing away the pain. With every five sweeps, flick the hands with the intention of dissipating the energy that you have cleared. Do about 100 to 200 of the sweeping motions. For better results, learn about the rules and techniques for pranic healing through the resources provided below.
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