This is a sponsored post, but all opinions shared below are my own.
As a reminder, I am not a medical professional. This post is for general informational and educational purposes only. Please see DWM’s full list of disclaimers and disclosures here.
Integrative medicine or the practice of combining treatments from alternative medicine (like aromatherapy) with conventional medicine, funny enough, is now integrated into almost every academic and medical institution. It is a subject I’m extremely passionate about and believe is essential in the treatment of migraine as well as other conditions such as anxiety, depression, and nutrition.
Aromatherapy is certainly a buzzword when we think of wellness and integrative medicine. It is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic benefit – which there are tons of. Having been around for centuries, it is no surprise the long list of uses and rise in popularity aromatherapy has had – including essential oils for migraine relief.
Essential oils are plant extracts that are created by pressing or steaming different parts of a plant. It can sometimes take a lot of plants to make just one bottle of essential oils. Aromatherapy can be done in many forms but the most popular way is through diffusers and rollerballs allowing folks to inhale scents from different essential oils.
According to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “aromatherapy may communicate to parts of the brain that produce certain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, which may have calming effects or reduce pain.” Smells can also trigger different sensations and memories through our limbic system. What is also interesting about this is how heightened our smell is, known as osmophobia, during a migraine attack. This makes me think folks with migraine disease are even better candidates for the benefits of aromatherapy, but should still use caution.
Health Benefits of Essential Oils
Many clinical studies have been done on essential oils which have found they can alleviate conditions ranging from anxiety, depression, bacteria, focus, nausea, insomnia, headaches, and more. It is a big reason I’ve been fascinated by essential oils for so long. I love the idea of using natural resources in our everyday lives to fix different problems. As someone who has dealt with anxiety and migraine attacks for years, aromatherapy has played a large role in how I practice self care often using essential oil for headache relief among other things.
Here is a short breakdown of some of the most popular treatments for common essential oils showing the many benefits of aromatherapy:
Tea tree – acne, athlete’s foot, ringworm
Lemon – antibacterial, anxiety, depression, pain
Bergamot – anxiety, mood, blood pressure
Frankincense – inflammation, mood, sleep
Eucalyptus – nasal congestion, viruses
Orange – antibacterial, anxiety, pain
Rosemary – inflammation, hair growth, stress, pain
Essential Oils for Migraine Relief
There are many benefits of incorporating aromatherapy into a migraine management plan. Many studies like explained below have shown that using essential oils for migraine relief can lower the frequency and severity of a migraine attack.
Peppermint
Peppermint is often the most recognized as providing relief for migraine and headaches when used topically. As cited by Healthline, some researchers believe that peppermint helps to control blood flow and open up the sinuses for better oxygen flow – which would make a lot of sense considering what we know about migraine. This study explains how peppermint oil can successfully be used to treat tension headaches in adults and children over six years old.
Peppermint can also benefit migraine disease in many other terms like nausea relief. This is the fantastic thing about using aromatherapy for migraine. When ingesting peppermint oil via capsule, it can assist with general upset stomach and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This essential oil also provides relief in congestion and muscle pain which can be symptoms of migraine as well.
Lavender
I am a HUGE fan of lavender, if anything can be lavender scented – I want it. The aroma is incredibly relaxing and comforting for me. I love to use it simultaneously for dealing with my migraine and anxiety (which tend to get along a lot). Lavender oil for migraine is not as well known, but is incredibly useful. This one study found that the inhaling of lavender oil is successful at reducing the severity and pain of a migraine attack. This could be for many reasons. Lavender has been shown to aid with so much whether that be anxiety, stress, sleep, and pain – so it’s no surprise that it is an ideal essential oil for migraine.
During my migraine attacks (which often occur at night), I like to lay in bed, lights off, ice pack on, holding a bold of lavender oil (or blend) – sometimes until I fall asleep. It is that cozy and supportive for me. This blend is an amazing combination of lavender oil, tangerine oil, bergamot oil, geranium oil, cypress oil, frankincense oil, and chamomile oil.
Migrastil’s RO Stick
I have been a fan of Migrastil’s Migraine Stick since I ordered it from a viral Buzzfeed list in 2018 (including this screen shot for proof!). Since then, I’ve kept it by my side at all times – travel, meetings, weddings, and errands – I don’t leave home without it. Why is it such a fantastic aromatherapy for migraine product?
For me there are two reasons: one is the compact size. It is the perfect size and shape to stick in any bag including an evening clutch. Secondly is the extra time I get from using the stick. I would never even try to convince you that aromatherapy will instantly free you of a migraine attack but it can definitely offer support in different ways as I’ve stated above.
For me, I like to use my migraine stick the very instant I feel migraine symptoms coming on as a way to put them at bay or slow them down. If I am experiencing a terribly viscous attack, the migraine stick gives me more time to get home or to a dark place. If you are like me and deal with nausea and vomiting with your migraine – a blend of essential oils like found in the migraine stick can save me while trying to get home or to a bathroom in one piece.
Without using a product like this, my migraine symptoms can often move like wildfire, not giving me much space or time to prepare – especially when I’m at an important event! In general, using a migraine relief tool like this allows me to go about my days, still living with migraine disease. For example this past week, I had many days where I started feeling mild symptoms come on in the evening, each time I was on my way to the gym (another tactic in dealing with migraine). The migraine stick took the edge off the pain, guided me to relax, and make it to the gym where my symptoms continued to subside.
Migrastil’s Migraine Stick is so well known because it has been around for years, holds up Migrastil’s reputation as a company that produces quality products, and countless folks have had great results from using it. It can be challenging to find aromatherapy products you can trust as many can include artificial scents and false derivatives of the essential oils you are looking for due to different additives they are diluted with. The RO stick includes peppermint, spearmint, lavender, and coconut oil (used as a safe carrier oil). Migrastil has also recently updated the stick to have a metal roller ball which produces a cooling effect – even if you don’t put it in the fridge!
It is recommended to roll the stick around your temples (being careful of the eyes) or neck – I like to put some on my nostrils so I’m forever inhaling the scents. In addition to migraine relief, as I’ve mentioned, this group of essential oils can provide relief for stress and muscle tension also found in their other products like the Soothing Neck and Shoulder Cream.
This month I’ve partnered with Migrastil to get you 15% OFF with your own purchase of a Migraine Stick using my code JULYMIGRAINE here!
I would love to know if you own Migrastil’s RO stick too!
Do you find it helpful? Does aromatherapy do anything for your migraine symptoms?
Let me know in the comments below!
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