However, as somebody who has struggled with continual migraine for the previous few years—as many as 15 a month—I’ve been on the hunt for any type of relief and prevention potential. From important oils to Botox to hashish to acupuncture and all the things in between, I’ve tried all of it. So why not add an ice cap, or chilly cap, to my arsenal of potential migraine remedies?
After I noticed advertisements for the TheraICE Hot & Cold Therapy Head Cap, I used to be instantly intrigued; I had simply requested for an ice curler for Christmas, so I used to be able to strive ice remedy for in-the-moment ache reduction. And the cap itself blocks out mild, one more sensitivity for individuals who undergo from migraine.
“In case you use it earlier than that hour mark, it may abort the assault and cease the allodynia.”—Andrew Blumenfeld, MD, director of The Headache Heart of Southern California.
How does an ice cap work to deal with migraine?
That’s the massive query, and I spoke with board-certified neurologist Andrew Blumenfeld, MD, director of The Headache Center of Southern California, and pioneer researcher behind Botox for migraine treatment (who has handled the likes of Aly Raisman for migraine), to get his skilled opinion on ice cap remedy for migraine.
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Dr. Blumenfeld says that for those who can tolerate it, an ice cap—no matter model—may present some reduction. The trick to its success lies within the timing, he says. “An hour right into a migraine assault,” Dr. Blumenfeld explains, “A affected person can develop what is named allodynia. This could current as tenderness throughout the cranium or scalp, by which you don’t need something to the touch your head; no ponytails, no hair clips, no hats, etcetera.”
So, for those who’ve already reached this level, an ice cap could also be uncomfortable and never useful. However, he says, “In case you use it earlier than that hour mark, it may abort the assault and cease the allodynia.”
It is because the ice remedy itself, which Dr. Blumenfeld has seen his sufferers use in several mediums, can constrict the dilated blood vessels, which in flip alleviates throbbing ache, and “acts virtually like a nerve block,” with its numbing impact, he says.
Right here’s how the chilly cap labored for me
With the doc’s seal of approval, I made a decision it was time to test it out. After receiving a pattern for overview, I waited till my subsequent migraine assault to try it out firsthand. Fortuitously for me (and sadly for my experiment), it took a bit longer since my preventative remedies have been growing the size between every assault. However when the subsequent migraine got here, it was a doozy.
I used to be away from my prescription remedy on the time, so the headache symptom progressed with out intervention. By the point I received house and received to my prescription, it was too late for it to be efficient. I attempted a scorching bathe and 800 mg of ibuprofen, however nothing was working. So, to get some non permanent reduction, I slipped on the ice cap, and I used to be shocked by how gentle and cozy it was. It had a cosy however not constricting match, with a gel-like, virtually memory-foam really feel. Although it got here straight from the tundra temperatures of my freezer, it wasn’t uncomfortably frigid and offered soothing chilly temperatures to the areas that had been in probably the most ache.
Although it was far too late within the sport for this to outright cease a migraine assault for me, it did present soothing reduction and was impressively comfy in its design.
Bonus: The cap was simple to put on
The cap stretches and slides onto your head and there’s no fastening concerned, which is especially good when you’ll be able to barely see throughout a migraine assault. It stayed chilly for about 20 minutes, and after that time, it doubled as a pleasant sleep masks whereas I attempted to nap off the ache. Apart: If warmth remedy is extra your velocity, the TheraICE Head Cap will be heated in a microwave as nicely. (I don’t have a kind of, so I skipped that a part of the check.)
Migraine is a novel neurological dysfunction that presents in another way from individual to individual, so the easiest way to know if this may be just right for you is to strive it your self. This cover is below 40 bucks, which is a lot inexpensive than each different medical intervention I’ve paid for previously two years. In addition, it’s not simply me who’s impressed—there are a couple of hundred five-star critiques on their website.
With an ice cap, the one actual danger is discomfort…it is perhaps too chilly on your liking, or you could have allodynia by which you don’t need something touching your head. Past that, it’s a protected intervention to strive, at a really affordable value. Plus, the model itself has a 30-day money-back assure and a one-year guarantee. So for those who don’t get reduction, you will get your money again and be in your merry approach. All in all, for those who undergo from migraine like me, I say give it a go.
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