A Simple Hack for Migraine Relief Has Gone Viral—But Does It Really Work?

Are you getting painful migraines and not having any luck with medication or other treatments? You may be able to find some quick relief with a simple at-home solution.

A migraine is defined as a type of headache characterized by "recurrent attacks of moderate to severe throbbing and pulsating pain on one side of the head," according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Some migraine sufferers on TikTok have been soaking their feet in hot water to help alleviate their pain. Physician Dr. Shilpa P. Saxena told Newsweek: "In a recent trend on TikTok, a hot water foot soak (i.e. hydrotherapy) is being recommended to stop progression of migraine."

TikTok user Becca von Bereghy (@becca_vonbereghy) shared a viral clip on September 27, which shows her feet in a bathtub. A message overlaid says: "Tried the hot water trick for your headache/migraine. Get as hot as water as you can stand. Soak your feet in it and your headache will go away."

Kaitlin Rae (@kaitlinraestyle) also shared a viral clip of her trying out the trick. In a caption shared with the post, she wrote: "As a migraine sufferer, this is a game changer...I can't believe how fast this actually helped!...this is a must try."

The hack also appeared to work for TikToker Andrea Eder (@andreaeder), who has suffered from migraines "forever," according to a post she shared in August of her soaking her feet in a container of hot water.

"Four minutes ago, I couldn't see straight," she said and this hot water trick "changed my life."

Does a Hot Water Soak Provide Migraine Relief?

Saxena, the chief medical officer at Forum Health, noted: "According to a small study and likely the first of its kind, results demonstrate that add-on hydrotherapy in migraine patients improves quality of life, decreases frequency and intensity of headache after 6 weeks of treatment."

The study, published in the January-March 2016 issue of the Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, found that "add on hydrotherapy enhanced the vagal tone in addition to reducing the frequency and intensity of headaches in migraine patients."

Vagal tone refers to the functioning of the vagus nerve, which is a cranial nerve that starts in a part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord and extends down through your neck and vital organs.

Saxena warned that "more research is needed" to confirm the validity of the hot water soak hack. "However, for the vast majority of migraineurs, this may be a low-risk option to consider as adjunctive treatment," she said.

Reacting to the aforementioned TikTok clip shared by Eder, DoctorSood, M.D. (@doctorsood), who is a board-certified doctor, according to his TikTok profile, said this hack has "zero side effects and may help" with migraine relief.

In a viral clip posted on September 4, DoctorSood said: "This will dilate the blood vessels in your feet, pulling blood away from your head, which will ease the pressure on the blood vessels causing the migraine, which will in turn decrease your pain."

Responding to the video by Eder, user @itsdrmax, who is a doctor according to his TikTok profile, also shared a clip in August. He said in the video: "Data alone on hydrotherapy is limited, but there's a science behind it. Hydrotherapy has been known to enhance vagal tone, which is associated with relaxation and lower stress.

"If you're struggling with migraines, adding hydrotherapy to your treatment plan might help you," he concluded in the clip.

According to Saxena, "research on autonomic dysfunction [a disfunction of the autonomic nervous system] continues to confirm that a mind-body medicine approach, that includes improving vagal tone, must be included in any comprehensive healthcare treatment plan."

The autonomic nervous system controls many functions of your body without your conscious control, Saxena explained. "Your digestive system, heart, lungs and sensory organs are primarily run by this nervous system, which is governed by the vagus nerve."

She noted that "recent converging evidence from varying therapeutic paradigms suggest autonomic dysfunction may be a major factor in the development of migraine.

"Heart rate variability (HRV), a popular measurement on health-focused wearables like watches, bands and rings, is a reflection of your vagal tone, or the health of your vagus nerve. The higher the number, the better. Some research has shown HRV changes with migraine development," she added.

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