Understanding Your Migraine Threshold: A Key to Better Management
Think of your migraine threshold as a cup of water that can overflow. Everyone with migraine has a personal "tolerance level" for various triggers. When that level is exceeded and the cup overflows, a migraine attack occurs.
Common Things That Can Add Water to The Cup:
- Genetic predisposition to migraine
- Changes in sleep patterns or not enough sleep
- Stress and post-stress "letdown"
- Hormonal changes (i.e., stage of menstrual cycle)
- Neck or jaw pain
- Food and drink (certain foods, alcohol, caffeine)
- Skipped meals or dehydration
- Changes in or lack of movement and exercise
- Environmental factors (weather, noise, smells)
- Lack of social and/or family support
- Changes in medication or supplements
As you can see, it's often a combination of factors that leads to the cup overflowing versus just one trigger in isolation. The goal is then to reduce the amount of water in the cup AND build higher walls of the cup. This increases the threshold of what your body can withstand before a headache or migraine begins, thus increasing the resilience of your body.
Two Essential Strategies for Prevention:
- Remove Water from the Cup
- Identify personal triggers through tracking
- Limit controllable triggers
- Develop management strategies for unavoidable triggers
- Raise Your Threshold (Build a Bigger Cup)
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule as best as you can
- Eat regular, balanced meals
- Stay hydrated
- Exercise regularly
- Have a stress management practice
- Follow medical treatment plans
A physical therapist with specialized training will help you determine if there are problems or issues with your neck and jaw that are causing or contributing to your headache or migraine. Treating neck and jaw issues is one way to remove water from the cup and reduce the frequency and severity of headache and migraine attacks.
Important Reminder: Perfection isn't the goal. The goal is for you to live your life, not to stop living. Sometimes, your cup will overflow despite your best efforts, and that's okay. Focus on progress, not perfection, and work with healthcare providers to develop sustainable management strategies.