1% Thursday: Warm hands
Next time you’re having a migraine attack, try warming your hands.
It’s one of the oldest home remedies I ever came up with for migraine. Today, I know that a lot of researchers agree with the idea.
I would go and wash the dishes.
In other words, (having no dishwasher, of course), I would put my hands in hot water.
Today, the "warming of the hands" idea is one of the techniques in biofeedback.
But sometimes something as simple as putting your hands in warm to hot water can help. You could also try putting them in a warm pack like a hot water bottle (no, not in the bottle – you know what I mean).
This doesn’t do quite the same thing as biofeedback (more info in this podcast) – I recommend you try that as well if you haven’t. However, it may be just a little 1% difference that will keep your migraine attack symptoms manageable next time.
Give it a try – warm hands, and maybe a head that’s a little cooler.
What is 1% Thursday?
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Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better. Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge. Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!
12 September 2010 @ 2:26 pm
Massage therapists have recommended to me that you put your hands and feet in warm water and if needed an ice pack on your neck.
I tried it recently and it worked well. For me, it’s my feet that get cold because the blood has gone to my head. So putting my feet in warm water helps bring it back down and reduces the intensity.
30 December 2010 @ 6:04 am
I would go as far as to say putting your hands and feet in hot water with Epsom salts so that you can just about take the heat is one of the best ways to reduce the intensity. There are no side effects that I’m aware of so you can do it repeatedly during an attack and for as many years as you have migraine. its cheap. Id also say using turmeric has helped me due to significant anti inflammatory again no side effects so it can be repeated as much as necessary.