Decrease Migraine Headaches Naturally By Increasing Serotonin

Do you suffer from migraines? There are a lot of treatment options available and speaking with your health care provider about your migraines will help to get the treatment that’s right for you. If you’ve been reading about migraines on the internet there’s a lot of information out there. There has been a lot of buzz lately about the connection between serotonin and migraines.

Serotonin is a chemical found in the brain that can improve our mood. This “feel good chemical” has been studied and found to be low in those who suffer from migraines. Although it’s not clearly understood how low serotonin levels affect head pain, there are headache medicines that target serotonin. Serotonin levels can also be influenced by doing some simple things. Here are some ideas to boost your serotonin naturally.

Get Moving

Exercise has been long known to increase serotonin levels. Going for a run or any vigorous exercise will do. Not ready to commit to a new exercise program? Even a quick brisk walk added into your day can help boost your serotonin.

Catch Some Rays

Bright sunshine makes you feel happy by increasing serotonin production in your brain. This is why a lot of people feel sadder in the winter when there isn’t as much sunlight. Try to spend 15 to20 minutes a day outside in bright sunlight. Always make sure to protect skin with sunscreen when outdoors. During the winter months, or on cloudy days, indoor light box therapy can act as a substitute for sunlight to help your mood and serotonin levels.

Eat for Serotonin

You may have seen a lot of content going around social media about foods to help boost serotonin levels. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it sounds.

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in protein-rich foods like turkey, and gets changed into serotonin in the body. There is limited research that eating tryptophan-rich foods will increase serotonin levels. Even foods rich in tryptophan, like bananas and turkey, may not be helpful since the body has a tough time converting and using the tryptophan in that food.

It has been suggested in a few studies that pairing tryptophan-rich protein with good carbohydrates (such as whole grains) may help the tryptophan to be used by the body and turned into serotonin. An example of a tryptophan and good carb pairing would be a slice of turkey with whole grain bread or whole grain crackers.

Eating well is good for our overall health, so stick with a diet full of nutrient rich veggies, fruits, carbohydrates and protein.

Try a Soothing Therapy

Massage therapy and acupuncture both have many benefits for our overall health. These therapies, when done by a trained and licensed provider, are a safe way to better our health by helping with muscle tension, stress and many other parts of our health. Both massage therapy and acupuncture have been shown to help increase “feel good chemicals” such as serotonin and dopamine.

These therapies are available on the campus of ProMedica Wildwood Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital. Massages are offered at ProMedica ForeverFit and acupuncture is available at Natural Wellness at Icaria. All services are performed by licensed and experienced providers in a relaxing environment.

Think Happy

Having a hard time working in all these serotonin boosting activities? There’s a simple thing to try. Think some happy thoughts. Spending a few minutes thinking of someone or something that makes you happy can stimulate happy chemicals in the brain like serotonin and dopamine. This can be done quickly and can be done almost anywhere, so try to work a few minutes into your daily routine focusing your thoughts on a happy memory or person or pet that makes you happy.