Heat therapy also increases blood flow to the area and relaxes muscles. Heat stimulates nerve endings called thermoreceptors, which may block the pain signals from that area to the brain. People with migraines can also get tension headaches, and heat can be helpful in easing this pain. Heat therapy has not been scientifically proven to relieve migraine attacks, but it has shown to be a benefit to people with tension headaches. What works for one person may not work for another, and the treatment approach is often very unique to the individual. While heat can be a trigger for some people with migraines, others find that heat therapy can be soothing when they have an attack. Heat therapy involves applying something warm to a body part to ease pain. If the burning is too intense, remove the ice. Make sure to not put the ice pack on too long or it can damage your skin. You should remove the ice once you experience numbness in the area being iced. Tauberg says when you put the ice pack on, you should experience four different feelings in this particular order: You can alternate the ice on and off until the pain subsides. Keep the ice on for 20 minutes and then take it off for an hour. Alex Tauberg, a certified sports chiropractor in Pittsburgh, recommends putting the ice either over the pain or at the base of your skull. The 2013 study specifically recommends applying the ice in the form of a neck wrap, which can help reduce the pain and discomfort from headaches and migraines.ĭr. How you apply the ice pack also makes a difference in how fast you can experience relief. Elliott, the best way to use cold therapy for a headache or a migraine is to apply the ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Before anything else, ask your doctor before trying any of these strategies or if you have questions and concerns about treating your headache at home.Īccording to Dr. There are a variety of ways to use this home-remedy treatment. What’s the best way to use an ice pack to treat a headache or a migraine? This helps to reduce the inflammation in the brain, which then helps reduce the pain felt from migraines. The researchers believe that the cooling pack cools the blood flowing to the carotid artery in the neck. In a way, cold temperature can act as a local anaesthetic that helps relieve the pain.Ī 2013 study published in the Hawai’i Journal of Medicine and Public Health found that applying a frozen neck wrap at the onset of a migraine significantly reduced pain in participants suffering from migraine headaches. Instead of registering pain, it only registers the cold feeling. The constriction of blood vessels helps reduce the neurotransmission of pain to the brain. Elliott, cold temperature causes blood vessels to constrict. But exactly what are the effects of ice on headaches or migraines?Īccording to Dr. Tania Elliott, chief medical officer at EHE. “Ice is often the ‘go-to’ to treat pain and inflammation, so it makes logical sense for it to be applied when your head hurts,” explains Dr. Using ice to relieve headaches and migraines is a common home remedy, having been used for as long as 150 years.
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