If you experience migraines, your doctor may prescribe you a preventive or acute treatment to manage the condition. Preventive medication is taken every day and helps to keep your symptoms from flaring up. Acute drugs are taken as an emergency in the instance of a migraine attack.

You may have to try out a few different medications until you find one that works for you. It can be frustrating, but everyone responds to treatment differently, and you have to find your best fit.

In addition to preventive and acute treatments, I’ve also found complementary therapy to be helpful for migraine pain. The following are five complementary treatments that work for me. This will also take some trial and error, so don’t feel like a failure if your first attempt doesn’t work. Make sure to talk to your doctor before trying any of these therapies.

These days, essential oils are at the top of my list. But when I first tried them years ago, I couldn’t stand them! I didn’t get the hype over essential oils. I found their scent to be triggering.

Eventually, though, essential oils started to help with my migraine pain. As a result, I now love how they smell. It’s the smell of “feeling good.”

My go-to brand is Young Living. A few of my favorite products of theirs include:

  • M-Grain Essential Oil
  • PanAway Essential Oil
  • Stress Away Essential Oil
  • Endoflex Essential Oil
  • SclarEssence Essential Oil
  • Progressence Plus Serum

If you choose to try out the PanAway Essential Oil, I would recommend first putting it on your feet or other areas away from your head since it is a hot oil. Also, I like to put the Progressence Plus Serum on my wrists. I put the SclarEssence Essential Oil under my feet.

Some vitamins and supplements have been shown to help a lot with migraine pain. Here are some I take daily.

Fish oil

Experts don’t know what exactly causes a migraine, but a leading culprit is inflammation of the body and blood vessels. Fish oil is rich in fatty acids that help to relieve inflammation.

You can get fish oil from foods like:

  • tuna
  • salmon
  • sardines
  • trout

You can also buy a dietary supplement containing fish oil. Consult your doctor to find out the right dose to take.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin is a type of B vitamin. It provides energy and also works as an antioxidant.

For migraines, it works best on its own, so be sure to get a riboflavin supplement and not a vitamin B complex. Of course, talk to your doctor first to see if it is a safe option for you.

A healthy diet is a key to managing my migraines. I have tried many different diets, but I’ve found that avoiding specific foods is more useful.

Things I’ve cut out of my diet include:

  • wine
  • cheese
  • meat
  • soy

Of course, everything is about balance. Sometimes, I will treat myself to dairy at a restaurant or whatever seems most appealing on the menu.

For me, a healthy gut means a healthy head. So, I start with eating a healthy diet as a strong base, but I also take probiotics daily.

I started going to a Reiki healer this year, and it has been life changing. She has taught me a lot about meditation, including different techniques.

I meditate two or three times each week, and it has been beneficial for my migraines. I’ve seen a significant improvement! Meditation relieves stress, improves my mood, and helps keep me positive.

Complementing medical treatment with these therapies has been life-changing for me. Talk to your doctor to see which complementary treatment might work best for you. Listen to your body, and don’t rush the process. In time, you will find your perfect remedy.


Andrea Pesate was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. In 2001, she moved to Miami to attend the School of Communication and Journalism at Florida International University. After graduating, she moved back to Caracas and found work at an advertising agency. A few years later, she realized her true passion is writing. When her migraines became chronic, she decided to stop working full-time and started her own commercial business. She moved back to Miami with her family in 2015 and in 2018 she created the Instagram page @mymigrainestory to raise awareness and end stigma about the invisible illness she lives with. Her most important role, however, is being a mother to her two kids.