Migraine Prevention: 5 Things to Try

Managing migraines involves a holistic approach that goes beyond just relying on medications. By integrating these strategies, individuals can better manage their migraines and improve their overall quality of life.

1. Maintain a consistent lifestyle: Getting up and out of bed at the same time, eating meals on a regular schedule, and regular daily exercise often do more to manage migraines than all the medicines and devices in the world. The brain needs to know that everything is ok – and nothing says that quite as well as a familiar and predictable lifestyle.
   
   
2. Build up exercise tolerance, then practice it daily: Daily aerobic exercise on a consistent (daily) basis helps set your brain’s tolerance for pain. Unfortunately, exercise can trigger a migraine if your brain isn’t expecting it. The key is to build up to about 20 minutes of aerobic activity every day (at about the same time), and then keep it up!
   
   
3. Track your headache frequency: Don’t wait until you cross that threshold from episodic (occasional) migraine into chronic migraine (headache more days than not). When you notice your headache frequency going up, that is the time to talk to your healthcare provider about prevention.
   
   
4. Ensure your provider is aware of your history: When you talk to your healthcare provider, be sure to let them know how many headache days, how many headache-free days, and how many migraine days you have on average each month. Your healthcare provider needs ALL THREE numbers to adequately assess how well your treatment plan is working.
   
   
5. Tune into your body and environment: Remember that migraine is a dance between you and your environment (internal and external). We don’t have a cure. Pay attention to your body and the world around you. Triggers are often partial and additive, and they are different for every individual. For example, if a bad night’s sleep is sometimes a trigger and skipping a meal is sometimes a trigger, avoid both on the same day.