Can You Treat Migraine Without Medication?

Many people believe a migraine attack is just a bad headache, but it isn’t. Pain is one of its most common symptoms, but migraine — used as the singular term since it’s a single neurological disorder — includes other neurological symptoms as well.

Migraine differs from the common tension-type headache in that over-the-counter pain relievers don’t resolve the symptoms, and movement of any kind worsens the pain. Managing symptoms usually involves a combination of preventive and abortive medications and lifestyle changes.

Migraine is so common that, according to the Migraine Research Foundation, it’s the sixth-most disabling disease worldwide. In addition, about one-quarter of families in the United States have someone living with chronic migraine, meaning 15 or more migraine days every month.

At Interventional Pain Center, Dr. James Stephens offers pain management services, including for migraine disease, at his office in Legacy Office Park, Norman, Oklahoma. Many patients want to know if they can treat migraine without medication. The short answer is yes. Here, our expert explains.

All about migraine

Doctors are still investigating the specific cause(s) of migraine; however, most believe there’s a genetic component since the condition often runs in families. There are also environmental triggers, like bright light, specific odors, or loud noises, particular to each person. These environmental factors most likely trigger the genetic aspect of the disorder.

A migraine attack, which is what recurs and produces the disorder’s symptoms, contains four discrete phases, but you may have just one, or any combination of the four. In order of occurrence, they are:

1. Prodrome

Prodrome is the “warning” phase, which starts about one to two days before the pain hits; it signals that you’re starting an attack. For some people, the signs are subtle; for others, they’re more pronounced, such as uncontrollable yawning, mood swings, and struggling to think clearly.

2. Aura

Migraine attacks can happen with or without aura; a person generally has only one type. 

Those who get an aura may experience visual distortions like lightning bolts (the most common) or spots, have overall muscle weakness, or garble their speech. This phase lasts about 20-30 minutes and leads immediately into the next one.

3. Pain

The pain may build gradually or hit all at once. It’s common for the pain to creep up the back of your neck and settle on one side of your head, which throbs incessantly. Any movement worsens the pain, and you also experience neurological symptoms, including sensitivities to light, sound, odors, and touch; nausea and vomiting; and vertigo. 

This phase, left untreated, can last anywhere from 4-72 hours. 

4. Postdrome

Even when the pain finally ebbs, the attack isn’t over. The last phase is called postdrome, and it’s a lot like a post-adrenaline crash. You’ll likely feel weak, tired, and mentally foggy for several days.

Can you treat migraine without medication?

The short answer is yes, you can treat migraine without medication, but there are some caveats. Lifestyle changes that help you avoid triggers, such as wearing polarized migraine glasses (filters out harmful wavelengths of light) or using unscented soaps, detergents, and cleaners, can help some people prevent an attack.

A more proactive approach is using a neuromodulation device. These advanced medical tools can alter the nervous system's activity, reducing migraine attacks and cluster headaches in the process. All but one (the Cephaly®) requires a prescription, and each triggers a different nerve or nerve cluster to modulate nerve function.

Neuromodulation uses electrical currents or magnets to adjust or change activity in certain parts of the brain. Some abort active attacks, while others are preventive devices.

The devices are sometimes called stimulators, but they more often decrease brain activity rather than stimulate it. And while most are portable and external, some require surgical placement. 

There are several FDA-approved devices on the market specifically for the treatment of headache disorders like migraine, so they’re no longer considered experimental and carry only minimal risk, meaning there are no significant side effects.

The biggest drawback of any of the devices is cost. However, they’re a reasonable option for people with health issues that preclude medications, those who can’t tolerate medication side effects, and those who worry about medication overuse headaches.

Want to learn more about migraine and how you can treat it without medication? Interventional Pain Center can help. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Stephens, call our office at 405-759-8407 or use our online booking tool today.