Cold Therapy for Headaches and Migraines

If you regularly suffer from headaches and migraines, it’s fair to assume you’ve tried a range of over the counter (OTC) medications. Some are more effective than others, but it can be problematic to rely on them regardless.

 

Well luckily there are more natural – and more effective – remedies available for headache and migraine sufferers. One such option is cold therapy, a simple and effective solution that you’ve probably used in some form or another before, perhaps without even realizing it.

 

With the release of our Aculief Headache and Migraine Relief Hat, we thought now would be a good opportunity to discuss exactly what cold therapy is, how and when you should use it, and how it can help anyone suffering from headaches and migraines.

 

 

What is Cold Therapy?

 

Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy, is simply using cold temperatures to relieve pain. It works on the principle that your body reduces blood flow when exposed to the cold in order to retain heat around your core organs.

 

In turn, reducing blood flow to a particular area can help to reduce inflammation and swelling. Also, cold temperatures temporarily reduce nerve activity in an area, which, rather than actually reducing pain, relieves the presence of pain.

 

Finally, as you’ve probably experienced before, being cold can create a numbing effect. Just think how your fingers feel when you don’t wear gloves on a winter day. Again, this doesn’t actually remove the pain but dulls your senses to it.

 

How and When to Use Cold Therapy

 

Using cold therapy to treat headaches and migraines can be as simple as applying a cold compress or icepack to your forehead or neck. In fact, this method of cold therapy dates back at least 150 years, if not more.

 

Of course, the benefit of using our Aculief Headache and Migraine Relief Hat is that it has a built-in cold pack, and the stretchy hat holds it in place. One of the biggest downsides to using an icepack or cold compress is that there’s nothing to hold it against your head, meaning you’re restricted in what you can do. With our Headache & Migraine Relief Hat, you can place it on your head and be free to move and go about your day. 

 

You can basically use cold therapy to treat headaches and migraines as often as you want, but for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Holding something frozen against your skin for any longer can lead to burns and is preceded by a burning sensation. If you start to feel this it’s worth removing the icepack.

 

But as cold therapy is a completely drug-free and almost entirely safe remedy, you can use it several times a day with almost no side effects. Providing you only use it for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time you should be fine.

 

 

Why You Should Use Cold Therapy

 

The reasons why you should use cold therapy might already be obvious, particularly if you regularly suffer from headaches or migraines.

 

Perhaps the main reason you should use cold therapy is because it’s a much safer alternative to OTC medication. Depending on the severity of your headaches, some medicines can be quite strong, and painkillers are known to be addictive. Therefore, relying on them to treat a potentially regular issue is problematic.

 

Generally, cold therapy is completely safe. As mentioned, the only potential side effect is burning your skin, but providing you never use cold therapy for more than 20 minutes this shouldn’t be an issue and is easily avoided.

 

Importantly, too, cold therapy works with the body’s natural processes to relieve pain. Relying on the simple science that the body restricts blood flow to cold areas allows you to treat pain quickly and easily. After all, if there’s less blood flow then there’s also less inflammation and pain.

 

Using our Aculief Headache and Migraine Relief Hat makes this even more effective because the stretchy fabric holds the cold packs in place, meaning you can benefit from cold therapy while not being restricted to physically holding ice packs against your head. 

 

 

The Benefits of Cold Therapy

 

Cold therapy has a number of benefits, as do our migraine and headache relief hats. Here’s a clear list of the major benefits of using cold therapy to treat headaches and migraines:

 

• Natural and drug-free.
• Very little (if any) side effects when used correctly.
• Cold therapy naturally reduces pain and inflammation by restricting blood flow.
• Our hats target all pain points in the head and neck.
• Along with cold therapy, they rely on the principle of compression to ease tension.
• Liquid cold packs stay cold for longer, meaning you can remove and reuse without waiting for it to refreeze.
• The hat is also designed to free your movement while wearing – you don’t need to lie down with an icepack balanced on your forehead.
• Low risk means you can use as regularly as you want to relieve headaches and migraines.
• You don’t have to worry about relying on OTC medication.

 

In short, cold therapy offers numerous benefits for people who suffer from headaches and migraines. It’s particularly useful for those who experience them regularly because it saves you having to spend loads of money on OTC pain medication or arranging prescriptions through your doctor.

 

Of course, there are some people who should be wary of cold therapy. This mainly concerns people with diabetes, as cold therapy can lead to long-term reduced circulation and lessened sensitivity. If you have diabetes and would like to use cold therapy, speak to your doctor first.

 

Aculief for Pain Relief

 

Aculief is built around the principle of using natural, safe, and effective remedies for pain relief. This is why we came up with the Aculief Headache and Migraine Relief Hat – it’s simple, effective, and reusable.

 

If you suffer from migraines or headaches and would like to find other remedies, consider checking out the rest of our products. Our Aculief Wearable Acupressure Clip is particularly effective against headaches for the majority of people, and our My Relief Essential Oil Roll On Stick  uses aromatherapy as a natural pain reliever. Pro tip: try them together for even more relief! 

 

So be sure to check out our Aculief Headache and Migraine Relief Hat for an easy way to relieve pain using cold therapy. You’ll be amazed at what it can do.