There is nothing worse than suffering from migraines. They are more than just minor headaches and can involve the whole body. Migraines affect everything who you are and what you can manage in a day.
More often than not, migraines appear out of nowhere. You may get an initial feeling of the pain coming, but you can suddenly find yourself unable to think or feel, except for the blinding pain in your head. Painkillers do nothing, except for the strongest that you can often only get on prescription.
So, what are your options?
Essential oils have been considered suitable for migraines throughout history. They are used in herbal therapies on a regular basis, even today. You have nothing to lose trying essential oil recipes for your migraines, but you want to get those that have been effective for others. Here are seven essential oil recipes to relieve migraines.
The best thing is these are not big recipes. They often involve a blend of essential oils in water to help relieve the condition. You’ll have your remedies in minutes (or as long as it takes to run a relaxing bath).
Rose, Lavender, and Melissa Oil Blend for Steam Inhalation
Start by boiling the kettle and pouring the hot water into a bowl. You can then add a few drops of rose, lavender, and Melissa essential oil. The three together will help not just to ease your migraine, but settle your mind and relief any other sinus or pressure problems that you’re experiencing.
Just put your head over the bowl with a towel over the top. The towel just helps to circulate the steam around your face, so you can continually breathe it in. Just breathe naturally, allowing the steam to get into your nasal passage and get to work on the rest of your body.
Melissa essential oil is one that you have likely not heard much about. It is used for repairing the mental health, as it is believed to improve your positive thoughts and to optimise. While it does not directly help your migraine, it can help to get rid of the negative thoughts connected to the pain. The oil will calm the nerves, which affects the nerves in the brain that cause migraines. Melissa oil is also suitable for relieving flu and cold symptoms. If you have a persistent cough, try this oil to help reduce it.
Rose and lavender oil are two common essential oils for all types of needs. Rose and lavender specifically target the nervous system to soothe it. This will help to relieve stress and reduce the tension within the body. Relaxing the muscles will help to reduce the pain symptoms within the body, especially in the head. You can get your body back in harmony, which will help to soothe and ease the pain relatively quickly.
The Same Oils as a Topical Treatment
If you do not want to use the steam to relieve your migraine, you could mix the three oils to create a topical treatment. Just put all three together in a bowl without anything else. Dip your fingers into the mixture and apply them to your temples. You can then lay down and block out the light to help relieve the symptoms of your migraine, while the essential oils get to work.
Topical treatments on the temples have useful properties. They get straight into the nerves that are being affected, without the need to sit up and put up with some lights. This is also a remedy that you can use right away.
If you feel any signs of a migraine coming on, get the essential oils out right away. You can usually get small bottles of them to carry in your bag if you want, so you can apply while you’re out or at work. This will help to curb the symptoms before they start.
Another option is to put the oils into a diffuser or an oil burner. You can then have the mixture burning through the house throughout the day. This is good if you tend to wake with migraines due to stress. Have a diffuser by your bed, so the oils are released into your room slowly and safely throughout the night.
Add Chamomile Instead of Melissa Oil
Keep the lavender and rose oil, but put some chamomile into the mixture instead of the Melissa oil. This is perfect if you want to run a bath and add the mixture to your bath water. The steam will become infused with the three essential oils, leaving you with a bathroom full of healing properties.
While the lavender and rose oil will work as before, the chamomile oil is excellent for relieving stress and tension. This is often through the scent, but there are herbal properties within the oil. Chamomile oil is a diuretic, which will mean you will feel the need to urinate more. The aim is to get rid of all the toxins in your body.
Toxins can build up and leave your hormones out of balance. This leads to more stress, so you end up with more pain in your head.
Getting rid of toxins and relieving stress is one of the reasons chamomile tea is suggested as an herbal treatment for the end of the day. You can have a cup while you’re in the bath to get double the power.
Decongest By Adding Eucalyptus Oil
With the lavender, rose, and chamomile essential oil, add some eucalyptus oil into the mix. This is perfect if you are suffering from pressure or congestion in your sinuses. Pressure, even if you do not initially feel it, can lead to headaches and migraines. While you can do everything to relieve the migraine symptoms, you’ll need to get rid of the pressure to prevent the symptoms coming back.
If you find you get congested easily, add some eucalyptus oil into a diffuser. You can put it on your bed and help your body breathe in oils throughout the night. You wake up fresh and ready to start a day.
When you want a quick treatment, add the blend of oils into your bath water. You do not want to apply eucalyptus oil directly to the skin without it being watered down. Some people have had reactions to it.
Eucalyptus is not just some temporary remedy to get rid of whatever is clogging your sinuses. It is an anti-inflammatory, which means it effectively works for all reasons for pressure buildup. Reducing the inflammation will help to get rid of the pressure on your nerves, eliminating pain quickly and efficiently.
Use Almond Oil with Peppermint Essential Oil for a Massage
Put a few drops of peppermint oil into some almond oil to make your massage oil. One of the benefits is that the almond oil will not become sticky, like most other essential oils. You are also adding plenty of healthy natural ingredients to your skin.
Almond oil is healthy without the essential oil thrown it. It is full of vitamin E, an antioxidant. The vitamin E will repair damage to the cells and help to fight off free radicals that can cause damage throughout the body. You can repair infections and treat inflammation that can make your migraines worse.
The peppermint oil is part decongestant and part relaxation. It works similarly to eucalyptus oil by reducing inflammation to get rid of a buildup of pressure or a blockage. This will help to get rid of the reason for your nerve pain. At the same time, the oil will help to calm your nerves and get rid of tension.
Using the two together through a massage will offer further migraine-relief benefits. You want to target your neck and shoulders for this massage. When you hold tension in your neck and shoulders, you can affect the nerves within your head. Many people who get regular headaches find that they have a lot of neck and shoulder pain or stress.
You can also add some lavender oil and marjoram oil to your massage therapy. The lavender will work as mentioned above, while the marjoram actively works on the brain tissue. It’s regularly used for strengthening the tissue and improve the health of the actual brain. By repairing and strengthening the nerves, you can reduce the damage and pain that you experience throughout the day. It is also useful for relieving cramps and spasms within the muscles, making it highly efficient in massage oils.
Use a Cold Compass with Rose and Lavender
Pull out the rose and lavender again. This time you want to soak the oils in some cold water and place a flannel or towel in. Allow the towel to soak up as much liquid as possible and then squeeze out the excess. You have made your cold compress to get rid of the pain.
Place the cold compress over your forehead and eyes, as you lie back. You get a few benefits from doing this.
The first benefit is getting to lie back. Sometimes you just need to lay on the bed to relax and wait for a migraine to go away. The second advantage is blocking out the light. There’s nothing worse than light when you get migraines. The pain becomes intense and hot, leaving you depressed and stressed. Many people find laying in a dark room helps them get rid of the pain.
The third benefit is through the cold compress. You are allowing the essential oils to soak into your head and through your eyes. It will relieve the pressure and while letting you gain all the other benefits mentioned above. The cold compress also helps to ease inflammation and tension. There’s this ability to relax, while the burning sensation in your eyes is treated. The anti-inflammatory properties will help to take the pressure from the nerves, getting rid of the pain.
You do not just have to use rose and lavender together. Try some chamomile in the mixture or some peppermint oil. Both have the extra anti-inflammatory properties to help.
If you find cold compresses do not help, you can opt for hot compresses instead. The heat can sometimes help to add more relaxation benefits, as it helps the muscles to relax. The downside is the heat can cause some inflammation. You will need to find which type works best for you.
Create an Energy Boosting Blend
Migraines will take the energy away from you. Your body is so busy fighting against the pain that it does not have anything left when you have recovered. You want an essential oil blend that isn’t just good for relieving the symptoms but will add some energy back to your day. This combination will also help you get rid of some of the symptoms of migraines, including nausea.
Mix:
- Eucalyptus
- Lavender
- Peppermint
- Cinnamon
- Rosemary
- Spearmint
- Basil
- Ginger
- Lemongrass
- Chamomile
- And Ravensara
Together in a diffuser and then let them work in your home. There’s a set and forget the element of this mixture, so you only need to replace the oils when you find your mixture has run out. You can leave them throughout the day, coming home to a room that is ready to add more energy back into your life.
The ginger specifically will help to manage your nausea when you suffer from a migraine. Ginger tea is often recommended for those with upset stomachs. You also get a mixture of essential oils that are known for stress relief, anxiety relief, muscle tension relief, and more.
This mixture does have a lot of essential oils. However, you only need a few drops of each one,and you will have plenty to get you going.
Relieve Your Migraines Instantly
There’s no need to wait and hope that your migraines disappear. Essential oils have long been used as ways to get rid of pain throughout your body. They help to reduce inflammation, soothe ill health, and support your nerves. Use the above essential oil recipes the next time you have a migraine, whatever the reason.