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Prodrome: More than half of all migraine sufferers will notice certain changes within 24 hours prior to their headache. These changes may include changes in mood, changes in sensory perception, memory problems, speech problems, craving of special foods and lack of oxygen resulting in yawning. These symptoms appear as a result of abnormal brain activity.

Aura: Anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour after the onset of a migraine, patients will feel certain changes. These may include irritability or restlessness, nausea or loss of appetite, and visual changes (i.e., flashing lights or colors, shimmering borders around objects). Some patients will experience "stroke-like" symptoms, which produce slurred speech, weakness, and numbness or "pins and needles" around the lips or hands. 

Headache: A migraine usually occurs on one side of the head and is pulsating in nature. Although usually a unilateral headache (i.e., occurring on one side of the head), a migraine may travel from one side of the head to the other on another incident. Pain and sensitivity in the muscles of the scalp and neck are common and sensory stimuli, such as smells, light, touch or sound become irritants. 

Resolution: Often, after a period of rest, the headache will resolve and the body will return to normal functioning. Other events that might end the headache include vomiting or an emotional outburst. 

Postdrome: The migraine sufferer will feel fatigued, tired and emotionally drained after the headache stops. Their actions may be sluggish and they may feel achy all over.

Migraine treatment varies from person to person. While some use coffee to prevent a headache from occurring, others attribute their headache to the coffee they drank. In most cases, the anterior neck muscles (scalenous and sterno-cleido-mastoid, or SCM) are severely contracted. To relax these muscles, I recommend placing the relaxed four fingers of your opposite hand onto the front of the neck. Without creating any pressure on the muscles of the neck, simply shake the hand up and down for at least 30 seconds. The speed of your vibration does not have to be too fast - move your hand as though you were waving your hand goodbye to a friend. It is important that you do not compress the tissue because this compression will slow down the blood flow to your brain. This cranial circulation problem was the primary cause of the migraine headache in the first place. I would recommend (at most) two minutes of this vibration, which you can repeat throughout the day.

Sinus Headaches

Sinus headaches often are mistaken for migraine headaches because they occur behind one eye, but sinus headaches are not pounding in quality. You simply can press on the eyebrow area, where your sinuses are, to see if there is pain or discomfort. If you experience pain in this area, press on it with your index and middle finger. As you maintain pressure, move your fingers in a circular direction for 20-30 seconds. After a pause of 10-15 seconds, repeat this move one or two times. This intervention should encourage your sinuses to drain, so don't be surprised if you feel some post-nasal drip.