Will Soaking Your Feet in Hot Water Relieve a Migraine?

You’ve probably seen that photo on social media. It depicts a woman sitting on a counter with her feet soaking in the sink basin and an ice pack on the back of her head. The photo claims that soaking your feet in hot water while using an ice pack on your head will relieve migraine pain during an attack.

Why this viral photo misses the point

Every time I see that image, I cringe. The comments alone drive me crazy. Too many people take the image literally and comment about their inability to perch on the edge of the sink. I want to scream, “That’s not the freaking point!” but truthfully, no one is listening.

I’ve lost count of the number of images, memes, articles, and helpful tips I’ve been sent by well-meaning loved ones. They really do want to help me, so I try to be gracious. I try to educate them, too. Most of the time my words fall on deaf ears, but once in a while, someone will actually pay attention. It is because of these rare moments that I still make the effort. So, back to the topic at hand.

How this comfort measure helps ease pain

I had a chiropractor suggest something similar many years ago. Frankly, it was the only helpful thing he offered. His version had me wrapping my feet in a heating pad while lying down with an ice pack on my head. I can’t explain why it helped, but it did. The attack itself wasn't aborted, but the pain eased up. Since that first attempt, I have always included this soothing technique as a comfort measure.

When to use this strategy

There are two times when I turn to comfort measures. First, I use these strategies at the first sign of trouble. Most often, I grab a wearable ice pack moments before I take one of my triptans to try to abort the attack. The cold eases my symptoms while I wait for the medicine to do its job. Second, on the rare occasion that acute treatment fails to abort the attack, I use comfort measures to help me cope with symptoms until the attack subsides. The longer the attack, the more strategies I lean on.

Other migraine coping tools for symptom relief

• Ice packs - cooling the head, neck or feet can help numb pain and calm overstimulated nerves.
• Heating pads - warmth can relax tense muscles, especially in the neck and shoulders.
• Counter pressure - applying firm, steady pressure to the head or temples may help ease throbbing pain.
• Aromatherapy - scents like lavender or peppermint may promote relaxation and take the edge off symptoms.
• Ginger or peppermint tea - these teas are often used to help settle migraine-related nausea.
• Pain relieving ointments - menthol or camphor-based rubs can create a cooling or warming sensation that distracts from pain.
• TENS units - these devices use mild electrical pulses to help interrupt pain signals.
• Sleep masks - blocking out light can be a huge relief during an attack, since many people become sensitive to light.
• Ear plugs - reducing sound can help when noise sensitivity makes an attack worse.
• Anti-nausea medications - these can help manage the nausea and vomiting that often come with migraine.
• Muscle relaxers - these may ease the muscle tension that sometimes builds up during an attack.
• Tinted glasses - wearing these can reduce light sensitivity both indoors and outdoors.

Setting realistic expectations for comfort measures

A comfort measure will not abort the neurological processes we call a migraine attack. Sometimes we get lucky and a comfort measure will actually eliminate a symptom (like pain or nausea). That alone can make us feel much better. It’s worth building a toolkit full of such soothing techniques and keeping it close at all times. It’s good to start by thinking about all the times you’ve had a migraine attack. What did you crave? What was readily available, and what was hard to find? If wrapping your feet in a heating pad or soaking them in hot water helps relieve migraine symptoms for you, then make sure to include that heating pad in your toolkit. Just don’t expect it to get rid of the attack entirely.