National Headache Foundation Article

Safe Migraine Headache Treatments That Can Be Used during Pregnancy

Odds are, if you suffer from migraine headaches before getting pregnant, they will get even worse during your pregnancy. If you rely on prescription or over the counter medication for migraine headache relief, you should know that you won’t be able to use them during your pregnancy, and will likely have to find another migraine headache relief method, one that will be safe for both you, and your unborn baby.

There are many ways of treating and preventing migraine headaches that are safe during pregnancy, you just have to do your homework to decide what you want to try. Some of the more common methods are biofeedback, physical therapy, relaxation, massage, and even acupuncture. These are all considered to be alternative treatments, so it is a good idea to talk to your doctor before pursuing any of these methods, just to be on the safe side.

Biofeedback is a treatment that not many people are familiar with, and is usually used to help treat migraine headaches, especially those that impact the patient’s life. Basically, you learn to relax pertinent muscles using visual stimulation, which for some, is an effective way to treat and prevent their migraine headaches.

We are all familiar with physical therapy, but may not associate it with treatment for migraine headaches. Typically this type of treatment uses massage, joint manipulation, and muscle toning exercises to help relieve and prevent migraine headaches from occurring.

When migraine headaches are believed to be triggered by stress or emotional turmoil, relaxation techniques may be helpful. Learn to do deep-breathing, or meditation, which can help you relax your mind and body, letting go of stress and problems that can lead to migraine headaches.

And of course, we all know about massage therapy, and how wonderful it can be. For those suffering from migraine headaches, it can be an even bigger blessing, as it helps improve blood flow to the brain, which often can eliminate migraine headaches, and provide relaxation that pregnant mothers need.

Few of us really consider acupuncture as a valid treatment option for anything that ails us, simply because we don’t like the idea of having needles being inserted into any of our body parts, but some people say that it is one of the most effective migraine headache treatments out there today. If you can past the needle phobia, you might want to try it.

Many of these methods can not only be used during pregnancy, but for the rest of your life to treat and prevent migraine headaches. As painful as they can be, it really is worth it to try any remedy you can come across, as long as your doctor approves!