Lifestyle Adaptations
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Identifying and understanding triggers can be crucial for managing and preventing migraine attacks. Lifestyle adaptations, such as changes in diet, exercise, and stress management, can help mitigate these triggers. Learning to recognize and adjust to these factors is a key step in improving overall well-being for those living with headaches and migraines.
Understanding Triggers and Lifestyle Adaptations
Sometimes, lifestyle adaptations will involve eliminating something entirely (like a particular type of food), but more often it is about moderation, pacing, and habit-forming. Here is some introductory information about triggers and lifestyle adaptations in general to help you get started.
Migraine Triggers: Avoid or Cope?
Weather and Migraine: Is It Really a Trigger and Why?
Pacing with Migraine: Why It’s Helpful and How to Do It?
How to stay active and avoid triggering migraine attacks
Can Travelling to a Higher Altitude Trigger Migraine Attacks?
Sleep
The relationship between sleep and headache is often unclear, but we do know that sleep disturbance and headache often occur together. Disturbed sleep may contribute to triggering an attack, or the headache itself may disrupt sleep. Improving sleep should beis therefore a priority for many people with migraine and other headache disorders.
Sleep and migraine: Improve your sleep without medication
Tips for improving sleep living with migraine
Interesting Facts on Sleep and Migraine: A Guide to Better Management
Caffeine and Migraine
Sleep Apnea and Migraine
Sleep apnea and migraine are two prevalent but often interconnected conditions that can significantly impact an individual's quality of life. Sleep apnea, characterized by disruptions in breathing...
Exercise
Studies show that regular physical activity can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. However, adopting a consistent exercise routine can be a challenge, especially if you are doing it for the first time! Our resources can help you understand the evidence around physical activity and migraine, and create an exercise plan that works for you.
Occupational Therapy & Migraine
Exercise and Migraine
How to Exercise if You Live with Migraine
Can Physiotherapy Improve Migraine?
Physiotherapy has been studied for its potential to improve migraine, despite the challenges in conducting such studies due to the variety of approaches and the reliance on patient cooperation...
Physiotherapy Exercises for Migraine
Physiotherapy exercises offer promising relief for various types of headaches, including cervicogenic headaches, tension headaches, and migraine, which can be linked to joint or muscle dysfunctions....
Vestibular Physiotherapy: What Is It and What Should I Expect?
Relief from vestibular migraine through physiotherapy is a journey that begins with understanding its specialized approach. Vestibular physiotherapy, an exercise-based therapy, targets persistent...
Why Is It So Difficult to Stick to Migraine Self-Care Routines?
Eating and Drinking
Did you know that the food you eat can trigger migraines? Read about the science behind diet and migraine, and find out how food choices can help you to manage your migraines effectively.
Migraine Triggers: Identifying and Managing Dietary Influences
Understanding migraine triggers is essential for managing this debilitating condition. While triggers vary widely among individuals, dietary factors are frequently cited as significant contributors...
Checklist: Healthy Nutrition for Migraine
The Ketogenic Diet for Migraine
Hydration and Migraine
Caffeine and Migraine
Diary
Keeping a headache diary is a valuable tool for tracking migraine patterns, identifying triggers, and communicating with your healthcare team. It is also often required by insurance companies and provincial government insurers, making this a critical practice for almost everyone who is seeking migraine care. Check out our how-to guide on keeping a migraine diary, and download our app to start tracking right away.
Canadian Migraine Tracker App
Printable Migraine Diary Templates
Detailed guide on how to use a headache diary
How to Use a Headache Diary (PDF Download)
The Canadian Migraine Tracker: A New Option for Headache Monitoring
Stress
Stress is a well-known migraine trigger. Learning to manage stress through techniques like mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation exercises using our resources below!
Explore Other Treatments
Alongside lifestyle adaptations, you may wish to explore other treatments to prevent attacks or relieve symptoms. Here are some links to help you see what options are available in Canada!
Preventive
Treatments
Acute
Treatments
Procedures &
Injections
