Music for Migraines

“And I have learned now to live with it, learned when to expect it, how to outwit it, even how to regard it, when it does come, as more friend than lodger. We have reached a certain understanding, my migraine and I.”

– Joan Didion

Migraines are horrible, and at times absolutely debilitating. Because of this, it’s no wonder some people are willing to try just about anything to alleviate the pain. The use of audio therapy as a way to help migraine sufferers has been explored for a long time. The use of audio stimuli may be a little counter-intuitive and there are a few factors that will influence the effectiveness of the stimuli on the migraine. One factor is the individual. As with most treatments, not all things are effective with everyone. Another factor is the severity of a migraine itself. If it is mild, then perhaps Audio therapy may be of help, however, if a migraine is more serious then audio may be a real headache.

It probably comes as no surprise that people experiencing almost any type of head pain will not want something pressing against their head. It is for that reason that a migraine suffers will not use headphones for their audio therapy. Some may use earbuds; however, it seems most prefer to listen to their audio via a speaker. There are many types of audio that a person may find soothing and the types of audio stimuli that are effective will really vary from one person to the next.

While the general assumption for using music as a pain management, or treatment method is to use calming melodic music, that is not the only thing people find effective. Some people prefer ASMR while others may like heavy rock songs. It really depends on the individual and this is not a scenario where one shoe fits all.