Coping With Fibromyalgia and Migraines
I have suffered from migraine since I was eight years old. I am now 31 and still suffer — though not as regularly — from these crippling headaches. Migraine is very common in fibromyalgia sufferers, and for many of us it’s just part of our chronic pain.
Over the years I’ve tried anything and everything to cope with my migraines and, although I can’t seem to shake them forever, I would be as bold as to say I am finally the one in control.
Here are helpful tips I’ve developed over the years for coping with chronic migraine:
Reduce Your Stress
Let’s start with the triggers. Whether it’s physical or emotional stress, get a good understanding of what triggers your migraines and do all you can to mitigate the risk. Changes to temperature and light are big triggers for me, but this is often difficult to control in the working day.
However, my own personal stress levels are in my control, so I do all I can to reduce the emotional stress in my life and remain as calm as possible.
Breathe
It sounds kind of obvious, but in keeping with reducing your stress, you need to breathe — big, deep, wholesome breaths that give your brain all the oxygen it could possibly desire. It was only recently that I realized I hold my breath when I’m stressed, as I’m sure many of us do.
Everything becomes tense and we breathe shorter, quicker breaths. When you feel your head start to pound, stop. Breathe deeply and slowly — the effects are quite amazing.
Sugar and Caffeine
Sugar and caffeine can often trigger a migraine but, for many of us, they can also help stop it. I drink a lot of tea in an average day and I always eat at regular intervals, so a lack of these things can start a headache that quickly progresses into a migraine. Sometimes a cup of tea and a biscuit can just stop things before they get worse — and this is a medication I’m definitely on board with!
Stretch
When you feel a migraine coming on, stretching is another thing that can help avoid disaster. In fact, there are specific yoga poses that relieve migraine and give your body the rejuvenation that it craves. The Internet offers a large number of photographs and videos with yoga tips for migraine sufferers.
Yoga is also a good way of reducing stress, which in turn reduces the frequency of your migraines.
