Here is a guide to having that conversation. Here are some alternative therapies to look into. Our Resource Library is another great place to find information on these treatments. As you work with your doctor on next steps, it will be important to maintain access to reliable resources on migraine.

We recommend taking a look at our patient guides , which include useful information like how to talk to your doctor about migraine. Treatment options vary, from acute treatment to relieve symptoms to preventive treatment to reduce the number of attacks you experience.

There are also behavioral treatment options and lifestyle changes that can help. Learn more on this page. Start here. You could also search our Resources Library to learn more about symptoms, triggers and treatments. It will be crucial to have access to reliable resources on migraine as you work to manage this disease.

The American Migraine Foundation offers extensive resources to help you explore your symptoms and treatment options. It may be worth considering some treatment options to help you manage your symptoms. Here are 5 common alternative treatments for migraine.

Consider these complementary and integrative treatments , and search our Resources Library for more. No matter what you call it—a headache journal, migraine diary, headache tracker—keeping track of your symptoms can be a versatile tool to help better manage your health. It can help you identify patterns over time and help your doctor identify if you are experiencing migraine.

Learn more about tracking your symptoms here. Because migraine is a highly nuanced disease, it is important to learn about all possible symptoms that may appear before, during or after a migraine attack, including less common ones such as aura. You can start with this resource.

Whether you have lived with migraine for a few months or a few decades, you know migraine can be a challenging experience. You should continue to seek proper medical attention and access information to help alleviate the burden.

Yawning and fatigue are typical symptoms of prodrome, the first phase of a migraine attack. Other symptoms can include food cravings and difficulty concentrating.

If you think you may have migraine, these answers to common questions can help you further investigate this possibility with a doctor. Migraine is a complex disease with a range of symptoms that vary from person to person. Common symptoms such as vertigo and dizziness are also associated with vestibular migraine.

Learn more about migraine symptoms in our Frequently Asked Questions to see if you may be living with migraine. Light sensitivity is a common symptom of migraine as is sensitivity to sounds or smells , but not everyone who has the disease will experience it.

Identify other symptoms of migraine and find answers to Frequently Asked Questions to help you start the conversation about migraine with your primary care provider. While migraine is a common disease that affects 39 million Americans, no two migraine experiences are the same.

Symptoms can vary from light sensitivity and dizziness to food cravings or body chills. Explore these Frequently Asked Questions about migraine symptoms to see if you might be experiencing migraine. And such a passive stance will not, I fear, take us far upon the path to progress.

I have had migraine with aura since I was in my teens and want to work towards a better future for all. You have always been and continue to be the expert of your own body. We recommend exploring complementary treatments such as biofeedback, green light therapy and aerobic exercise. Learn how these common therapies can help you manage migraine.

You might have tried some alternative therapies, but did you know about these complementary and integrative treatments? They may be worth exploring. For more information on alternative migraine treatments, visit our Resource Library. Finding people whom you can lean on for support can help lift some of the burden of managing migraine before, during and after pregnancy.

Our Move Against Migraine Facebook group is full of mothers with migraine who can offer encouragement and support throughout your journey. Join the community today. Mounting evidence suggests there may be a connection between migraine and mental health. Anxiety disorders and depression are two of the most commonly reported mental illnesses among people who are diagnosed with migraine.

By learning how migraine and mental health impact one another and ways to manage both, you can improve your quality of life. Learn more about the relationship between migraine and mental health in this AMF webinar.

We are happy to hear this! Pregnancy can add another complicated layer to your migraine journey, but having a strong support system will make it easier to navigate the ups and downs. You can find additional support from people in your position and those who have already experienced pregnancy with migraine in our Move Against Migraine Facebook group.

Already pregnant? Consider taking a moment to learn about the relationship between migraine and hormones. While migraine thankfully does not affect fertility, it can complicate conversations about family planning and infertility treatments.

Learn more about the relationship between migraine and family planning. Use our Find a Doctor tool to find someone in your area. Migraine is a disabling disease that no one should have to go through alone.

Then consider joining the Move Against Migraine support group on Facebook so you can connect with others who live with migraine. You are not alone. If your support system is lacking, consider joining a support group.

Our Move Against Migraine support group is a place for you to connect with others via Facebook who live with migraine to exchange stories and find community and support. Your guide to healthy sleep. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

LaRowe LR, et al. Pain, nicotine and tobacco smoking: Current state of the science. American Heart Association. Swanson JW expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 23, Bordeaux B, et al. Benefits and risks of caffeine and caffeinated beverages. Kissoon NR expert opinion.

Mayo Clinic. Sun-Edelstein C, et al. The evolution of medication overuse headache: History, pathophysiology and clinical update. CNS Drugs. Products and Services Available Solutions for Headaches from Mayo Clinic Store.

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How stress triggers migraine As you may know from experience, stress can cause attacks. Exercise regularly. While you should aim for at least 30 minutes most days, just doing something even walking is a good start.

Try yoga , meditation, or other relaxation exercises such as deep breathing. Maintain a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Spend more time with family and friends. Get outside. Do something creative. Hobbies like knitting, drawing, painting, or playing an instrument can help you channel your energy into something that makes you feel better, instead of stressing out.

Take breaks. Keep a stress journal. Taking the time to make a note when you feel stressed, including what stressed you out and how you reacted to it, can help you identify the major stressors in your life, find patterns, and make changes to avoid unnecessary stress.

Connect with one of our most trusted headache experts Get started. Get started. Ready for expert-backed migraine treatment?

Stress Management. Effects on Health. By Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Elizabeth Scott, PhD. Learn about our editorial process. Learn more. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.

Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN.

Learn about our Medical Review Board. Trending Videos. The Link Between Stress and Migraines. How Chronic Stress Impacts Your Health.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Fumal A, Schoenen J. Tension-type headache: current research and clinical management. Lancet Neurology. January, Lee, Dennis, M. Headache Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment on MedicineNet. Epidemiology of tension-type headache.. JAMA , February, They include:.

Sticking to a regular sleep schedule going to bed and waking at the same time; sleeping seven to nine hours. Keeping a migraine journal to see what triggers besides stress could be preceding your migraines. Eating at regular intervals. Exercising regularly.

Overall, leading a healthy lifestyle can help prevent migraines. The key to preventing a stress-triggered migraine is reducing the amount of stress in your life.

Since it's impossible to eliminate stress, you also need to learn how to control it. Yoga is a combination of physical and mental exercises that help reduce stress and anxiety. While more research is needed, some scientists believe that meditation can inhibit the part of your nervous system that's responsible for stress.

By practicing meditation, you may be able to reduce migraine symptoms and prevent stress-induced conditions. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage can help prevent and reduce pain-related migraine symptoms.

Regular massage sessions can help you relax, reduce stress, and get extra rest. This can also play a major role in migraine prevention. To change stressful patterns in your life, you need to dive deeper into the four A's of stress management:.

Avoid: Avoid any unnecessary stress in your life by saying no, managing your to-do list according to your abilities, and minimizing interaction with people who stress you out.

Alter: Be ready to change your life to minimize stress. This may involve reviewing your schedule, asking for assistance, and seeking compromises. Adapt: If you can't avoid stress, learn to adapt to the stressful situations in your life.

To do that, you may want to try cognitive behavior therapy CBT , which teaches you how to adjust your thinking and behavior. Accept: Learn to accept things you can't change because worrying about them simply brings on more stress and triggers headaches.

Learning how to manage stress won't just help with migraine stress management. If you have stress-related migraines, you need to see a doctor. Don't try to treat migraines on your own. Instead of achieving results, you could be making matters worse by increasing the stress intensity.

Don't wait until you can figure out what your common migraine triggers are. Contact your primary care physician and work out a course of treatment. Stress is one of the most common migraine triggers. To alleviate stress-related migraine symptoms and prevent the onset of this condition in the future, it's important to contact your doctor.

Migraine stress management involves taking medication, trying to minimize the amount of stress in your life, and learning how to cope with situations you can't avoid.

Find out the symptoms, causes, and treatments of this disabling neurological disease American Migraine Foundation. Migraine: Maladaptive brain responses to stress Reduction in perceived stress as a migraine trigger Early life stress in adolescent migraine and the mediational influence of symptoms of depression and anxiety in a Canadian Cohort Investigating the association between childhood physical abuse and migraine Migraine progression: A systematic review The triggers or precipitants of the acute migraine attack Hypertension and migraine: Time to revisit the evidence American Migraine Foundation.

Treatment of migraine and the role of psychiatric medications Preventive agents for migraine: Focus on the antiepileptic drugs Cold therapy in migraine patients: Open-label, non-controlled, pilot study Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life Study of additive effect of yoga and physical therapies to standard pharmacologic treatment in migraine A randomized, controlled trial of massage therapy as a treatment for migraine Life event, stress and illness Migraine Sep Explore clinical trials for migraine and see those actively looking for patients near you.

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Latest News. Women's Health. Men's Health. Mental Health. This creates a frustrating catch for migraine sufferers: Being stressed out can give you a migraine headache, but so can taking a day off.

Unchecked stress can cause other medical conditions too, like high blood pressure and TMJ disorders which can also trigger attacks. Not all stress is avoidable—think of big changes like starting a new job or losing a loved one—but studies show that headaches are more likely to be caused by the daily grind than by major stressful events.

So, how can you reduce your day-to-day stress and get a handle on your condition? What do migraine experts recommend for reducing stress? Cristina Wohlgehagen, founder of the International Headache Center and Cove Medical Advisor. If the source of your stress is something outside of your control, like a health issue or a demanding job, lifestyle changes may not be enough to calm you down.

Instead, focus on something you can control: the way you react to a stressful situation. When you catch yourself thinking this way, try to reframe your thoughts more positively.

Perfectionism may seem like a commitment to doing things right, but expecting perfection from yourself only sets you up for failure.

The information provided in this article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not rely upon the content provided in this article for specific medical advice.

If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor. Photo by Kyle Broad on Unsplash. Sara Crystal, MD. Neurologist, Cove Medical Director. Our offering. Cove Employer Program.

Learn about our editorial process. Learn more. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN.

Learn about our Medical Review Board. Trending Videos. The Link Between Stress and Migraines. How Chronic Stress Impacts Your Health. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Fumal A, Schoenen J. Tension-type headache: current research and clinical management. Lancet Neurology. January, Lee, Dennis, M.

Headache Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment on MedicineNet. Epidemiology of tension-type headache.. JAMA , February, See Our Editorial Process. Meet Our Review Board. Share Feedback. Was this page helpful? Photo by Kyle Broad on Unsplash. Sara Crystal, MD.

Neurologist, Cove Medical Director. Our offering. Cove Employer Program. Privacy Policy. Informed Consent. Code of Conduct. Your Privacy Choices. Prescriptions Supplements Cove Blog Reviews. Text or Call Get Started. Living With Migraine The Best Stress Management Tips for Migraine Sufferers.

How stress triggers migraine As you may know from experience, stress can cause attacks. Exercise regularly. While you should aim for at least 30 minutes most days, just doing something even walking is a good start. Try yoga , meditation, or other relaxation exercises such as deep breathing.

Maintain a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Get enough sleep , don't skip meals, and be sure to pace yourself to avoid stress and fatigue. Physical and psychological relaxation therapies can help stave off tension headaches, so long as you practice these techniques regularly.

Physical approaches include applying a heating pad to your neck and shoulders to relax the muscles. Exercising these muscles also helps by strengthening and stretching them. Guided imagery exercises that help you focus your attention on various parts of your body in order to relax them and release tension and stress can also help.

This relaxation technique requires special training but can help people avoid recurrent tension headaches. Typically, a therapist will attach electrodes to your skin to detect electrical signals from your neck and shoulder muscles.

You then learn to recognize when you are becoming tense and practice ways to relax the muscles before they tighten so much that you develop a tension headache.