What can a migraine alert dog do for you? The real question is: Why didn’t we all think of this sooner? Out of all the effective natural therapies available for chronic migraines, alert dogs are possibly the most overlooked. Here are 3 ways your migraine alert dog can help.
Migraines with aura alert
Service dogs aren’t just for the blind- many organizations train dogs to provide emotional support and handicap services for people who are in wheelchairs, as well as people who are at risk for seizures from epilepsy or diabetes. In many respects, a migraine with aura is similar to a seizure, so a migraine alert dog can be helpful to warn you when a migraine is approaching, giving you advance warning to lie down and take preventative actions.
Migraines and Epilepsy: 4 Commonly Asked Questions
For more information on adopting or training a migraine alert dog, visit Pawsibilities and Dogster.
Stress management
The more stressed you are, the likelier you are to have a migraine attack; that’s a direct correlation that has been proven time after time in various scientific studies on migraine triggers.
Likewise, many studies have been conducting proving the therapeutic benefits of having a pet- especially a dog- in relieving stress, anxiety, depression, and yes- even pain. Enter the migraine alert dog…
Pain experts say that just petting a dog for 15-30 minutes triggers feel-good chemicals in your brain that help to quiet pain signals and lessen even excruciating migraine headache pain. Plus, your dog likes it, too!
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Workout buddy
Daily exercise is an effective way of relieving stress and reducing migraines naturally, but only if you stick to the routine. You don’t have to lift weights, join an aerobics class, or even work yourself up into a sweat to benefit, but you do have to keep it regular and try not to “fall off the wagon.”
According to many studies, having a workout buddy- or a migraine dog that needs daily walking- significantly increases your likeliness to stay with the program.
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What are other natural migraine therapies?
Do you already have a dog that helps you manage migraines? Good! Here are some other natural migraine therapies that don’t require prescription medication:
- Natural supplementation of vitamins, herbs, and minerals that benefit migraine sufferers, including the big four: Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), butterbur, and magnesium.
- Acupuncture
- Yoga and tai chi
- Relaxation techniques
- Aromatherapy
- Stress management counseling
- Exercise
- Restrictive dieting
- Keeping a migraine diary
Your turn!
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Like this? Read more:
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