Post-Exercise Migraine Pain: Natural Ways to Cope

 

Nobody enjoys a headache. They can be inconvenient and even downright excruciating. However, headaches are a fact of life for many people. While we often tend to think of headaches and migraines as singular things, the reality is that there are many different types of head pain. One type of headache and migraine that is experienced by many people is post-exercise migraines. Let’s take a more in-depth look at this particular type of pain and some natural solutions for dealing with it.

 

What are Exercise Induced Migraines?

 

As you could expect, exercise induced migraines are simply migraines or headaches that people experience as a direct result of engaging in exercise. They are often experienced after long periods or intense periods of exercise. While they can be caused by any type of exercise, some common things that result in these headaches are tennis, swimming, running, and weightlifting. Essentially, the more intense the exercise, the greater the likelihood of experiencing one.

 

Different people experience exercised induced migraines in different ways. Thus, there are a wide range of symptoms that can be related to them. However, the most common symptom is a throbbing feeling in the head that typically effects both sides of the head. Additionally, these headaches may be experienced with vision issues, neck stiffness, and even vomiting for particularly severe cases. Thus, it is easy to see why exercise induced migraines are a problem for people who experience them.

 

What Causes Exercise Induced Migraines?

 

Obviously, the clear answer here is exercise; however, the real question you are probably wondering is why exercise serves as a trigger for migraines and headaches for some people. The reality is that the exact cause is not completely confirmed; however, a leading theory is that strenuous exercise serves to dilate the blood vessels inside your head, creating the pain experienced.

 

When you exercise, the muscles in your head and neck need more blood to circulate. This causes the blood vessels to dilate. For some people, this causes headaches and even migraines. As mentioned earlier, intense or prolonged exercise can be a contributing factor to these headaches. However, there are other things that contribute as well. For example, exercising in hot weather is more likely to trigger an exercise induced migraine. Exercising at high altitudes, particularly by people who are not used to doing so, is also a major factor in many cases.

 

 

Preventing Exercise Induced Migraines

 

A common question that people have when they suffer from this condition is how to prevent it from happening. After all, exercise is not only important for overall health but also something that many people simply enjoy. Limiting exercise due to headaches is not an ideal situation, so preventing them is of critical importance for many people.

 

There are a few ways to prevent these types of headaches. For example, avoiding exercising when the weather is hot or humid can be helpful. When these conditions are present, moving exercise indoors to a gym can possibly prevent the development of migraines. Additionally, paying attention to which types of activities are most likely to induce these headaches can provide key information for what activities to potentially avoid. Another way to potentially prevent these headaches is to do a warmup before exercising, which can better prepare your body for exercise.

 

How Can I Treat Exercise Induced Migraines?

 

People who get migraines or headaches after engaging in exercise cannot always prevent it from happening. Thus, one of the key things you can do is treat it when it occurs. Fortunately, there are many natural solutions to treat exercise induced headaches. Here are some of the most effective.

 

Acupressure. Acupressure takes advantage of traditional eastern healing to target specific points on the body that yield relief from pain when exerted. An effective one lies on your hand, the LI4 pressure point. Triggering this acupressure point can yield relief from common mgiraine and head pain.  An easy way to do this is with our Acupressure Clip, which allows you to trigger this important pressure points passively. Wearing our acupressure clip after exercising can help prevent or mitigate the development of headaches. If you feel nauseous after exercising, try our Acupressure Bracelet instead. It targets the P6 or Nei-Kuan point to alleviate nausea quickly.

 

 

Consume Magnesium. There are natural things you can consume that can help provide critical relief from headaches. One thing shown to be the most effective is magnesium. Migraines often happen when there are low levels of magnesium present in the brain. Eating things like figs, dark chocolate, and pumpkin seeds can help boost your magnesium levels. Taking a supplement is also an option.

 

Essential Oils. Trusted by many and increasing in popularity, essential oils have a variety of functions depending upon the oil. One of the most useful is to help reduce pain from headaches and migraines. Some of the most useful oils for this are peppermint, lavender, and spearmint. Our My Relief migraine roll-on provides all three of these essential oils plus chamomile for a calming effect. Simply applying it to your neck or temples after working out is a great way for quick, long-lasting relief.

 

Drink Coffee. Many people love coffee; however, did you know that it can be a key ally in helping reduce headache pain? This is because one of the effects of caffeine is to constrict blood vessels. If your blood vessels are dilated, this will help counteract the process and provide you with some all-important relief. A cup of coffee when experiencing exercise induced migraines may provide strong relief.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Headaches and migraines can be frustrating especially when caused by something as enjoyable as working out. However, exercise induced migraines do not have to ruin your fitness journey. There are plenty of natural solutions to help address these issues and get relief fast. Acupressure, essential oils, caffeine, and magnesium have all been shown to help relieve pain from exercise induced migraines and headaches.

 

For more tips and natural healing information, feel free to follow our Natural Healing Blog, where we post updates and information about how to leverage natural remedies and solutions to pain you may experience.