2024-01-09 23:00:00
Home > News > Hydrotherapy (hot foot bath): a natural remedy to relieve headache or migraine Article published in newspaper nº 119
Currently, a trend is emerging on the social network TikTok: foot baths are said to be the miracle solution for migraines. Is this grandmother’s remedy really effective, and if so, why?
Migraine goes well beyond a simple “headache”, as we recently explored in our article entitled “Migraine, the end of the headache? » Although the origins of this condition still generate much debate within the scientific community, the most plausible hypothesis suggests that it results from an electrical disturbance of the brain affecting the autonomic nervous system. This dysregulation would notably lead to vasodilation and inflammation of the brain matter. It is in this context that hydrotherapy, in particularimmersion of feet in hot water, is described by a number of migraine sufferers as an often effective remedy. THE naturopaths have been using this technique for a long time Frédérique Laurent who, in his book Leduc’s guide to naturopathy for the whole family, recommends bathing the feet or even the elbows in very hot water for 5 minutes.
The explanation commonly used to explain its effectiveness is as follows: the high temperature of the bath causes vasodilation in the immersed area (feet, hands, elbow) (1), which will redirect the blood flow from the cerebral vessels towards a other part of the body. So, this process would “unclog” the brain and, therefore, alleviate pain.
Read also Traditional medicines for headaches
There is heat, cold, but also breathing
It’s not just hot baths that can work. Indeed, applied to the head, but also the nape of the neck, very cold water will also fight once morest the vasodilation of brain matter by reducing the diameter of the vessels (vasoconstriction). Beyond these strictly circulatory explanations, it is probable that sudden changes in temperature have a complex impact on our nervous system (as shown for example by research on ice water baths) and, therefore, on migraine. Thus, although rare, some studies have looked into this mechanism. Among them, an Indian study (2) showed that immersing the arms and feet in hot water improved “ vagal tone while reducing headache frequency and intensity in migraine patients “. Regardless, hot foot baths or exposure of the head to cold water are two simple and risk-free techniques that are worth trying in the event of a headache or migraine, especially especially if they can avoid taking certain antimigraine medications.
Finally, here is an additional tip to apply during your hot and cold baths: take the opportunity to… sigh deeply. People suffering from migraines often have an excess of nitric oxide (3), a gas involved in the regulation of blood pressure. Studies suggest that prolonged exhalation, preferably through the nose (4), can help eliminate this excess.
Read also How to manage your migraine attacks
Bibliographic references
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