If you are a victim of migraine headaches, then you probably have tried all sorts of medications to relieve your symptoms, including oral pain relievers and migraine inhibiting injections. While migraine medications can bring relief, they can also lead to serious side effects, including dizziness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, vision problems, and, in some cases, cardiovascular and blood pressure problems. Here are some alternative treatment options for your migraine headaches so that you can rely less on your prescription pain medications:

Black Coffee

When you have a migraine headache, the blood vessels in your head dilate. Dilated blood vessels put pressure on the surrounding structures of your head, causing severe pain, usually on one side of your head, but sometimes on both sides. Strong black coffee contains caffeine, which possesses powerful vasoconstriction properties. After drinking coffee, the blood vessels in your head will constrict, or shrink, relieving the pressure from the surrounding structures, and eliminating your pain. In fact, caffeine is one of the active ingredients in many over-the-counter pain medications. If you have high blood pressure, insomnia, anxiety, or palpitations, drinking coffee may make your conditions worse, so check with your doctor, before consuming too much. Dark chocolate is also high in caffeine; however, the sugar and other ingredients in dark chocolate may actually trigger a migraine headache.

Chiropractic Massage

Your chiropractor can perform a therapeutic massage which will help enhance circulation in your head and neck. Better circulation and blood flow can help stave off migraines and, if you do get a migraine headache, it may be less painful. Also, massage helps promote the release of endorphins, which are sometimes referred to as "feel good hormones." They can decrease your perception of pain, relax your muscles, and help you get a better night's sleep. Migraine sufferers often sleep poorly because of excruciating pain, nausea, and vomiting. Massage can help reduce the severity of all three of these symptoms so that you can can sleep through the night. While massage therapy is an excellent way to manage your migraines, do not get a massage from an inexperienced practitioner. Poor technique can make your headaches worse, and may even contribute to nerve damage in your neck and spine. 

If you suffer from migraine headaches, consider the above interventions and make an appointment with your chiropractor. In addition to the above treatment options, he or she can recommend other effective ways to manage your migraines.