Home Remedies for Migraine Relief and Prevention

Omega-3s

Healthy fats, FTW. "Research suggests that omega-3 supplements may help to reduce severity and frequency of migraine symptoms," says Axe. The reason: Omega-3s help decrease inflammation, and people who get migraines tend to have hyperactive neurons that can be triggered by inflammation.

You can pop a fish oil supplement, or, if that grosses you out, make sure you're eating foods rich in omega-3s such as salmon, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

Sleep

Those occasional late-night scrolls on your phone might be doing more damage than you realize. "A lack of sleep contributes to increased inflammation and altered hormone levels," which are both migraine triggers, explains Axe. "Stick to getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night and try to keep a sleep schedule, meaning you go to sleep and wake up around the same time every day," he advises.

Magnesium

Considering the importance of sleep for migraine prevention, it probably won't surprise you that magnesium — which some people take to promote quality sleep — is another migraine relief home remedy. "Magnesium is involved in neurotransmitter function and blood circulation, plus it works to release pain-reducing hormones," explains Axe. "It's often used to relieve migraine pain and promote restful sleep that's crucial for keeping the body in balance," he adds.

Consider taking a magnesium supplement or getting magnesium through foods such as leafy greens, nuts and seeds, bananas, and whole grains.

Mindfulness Meditation

"Stress can trigger migraines and make the pain worse," notes Axe. "Both physical and emotional stress can affect your blood flow, contributing to the expansion and contraction of blood vessels that reach your head," he explains. This can then result in more migraine pain.

Ideally, you'd cut out any major stressors in your life — but obviously, some sources of stress are unavoidable. A more realistic approach: Develop some go-to strategies and lifestyle habits that help you manage your stress levels on a regular basis, such as a daily meditation practice. Multiple small-scale studies suggest that practicing a type of meditation called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) might help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines.

Exercise

Yet another reason not to bail on that workout class you scheduled for today: Incorporating regular physical activity is one of the best ways to avoid chronic inflammation and, in turn, help prevent migraines, says Axe.

Specifically, yoga may be an especially helpful migraine relief home remedy. In one study published in the journal Neurology, one group of people with chronic migraines took medication while another took medication and practiced yoga as a complementary treatment. For three months, the subjects logged the frequency and pain intensity of their migraines, as well as the degree to which their migraines interfered with daily life. Both groups showed improvement after three months, but the yoga group showed significantly more improvement than the other group across measures of migraine pain intensity and frequency.

Essential Oils

It might be time to finally hop on the essential oils bandwagon. "Using some essential oils topically may help to alleviate migraine pain," notes Axe. Try peppermint, which "has invigorating, pain-reducing and anti-inflammatory properties," and lavender, which "works to ease muscular tension and stress," he suggests. A migraine relief home remedy that doubles as an at-home spa moment? Win-win.