Suffering from migraines can significantly affect your quality of life. Migraines can range in severity to the point that you need to stay in bed with the blinds drawn for the day, rather than go out. Migraines can limit your ability to work, and even affect your relationships with friends because you may frequently cancel plans to get together. If you suffer from migraines, it's a good idea to see a specialist, who may discuss with you the healing benefits of migraine surgery. This minimally invasive procedure has the ability to limit future instances, which can help your quality of life. In the weeks that you're waiting to have the surgery, here are some self-care techniques that you can employ.

Massage

Many migraine sufferers have success alleviating their symptoms by seeing a massage therapist. While massage may not permanently cure your migraines in the same manner as having surgery, it's a viable option to reduce your discomfort as you wait for your surgery date. When selecting a massage therapist, it's ideal if you can find one who has not only experience with treating migraine patients, but has taken additional training on how to approach this pain issue.

Exercise

When you have a migraine, physical activity might be the last thing you want to do. However, exercise may be valuable in helping to reduce your pain. You should aim for a gentle exercise, especially if you seldom are active. Walking at a moderate pace may help your migraine symptoms to decrease. When you're exercising, it's vitally important for you to stay hydrated — this means drinking water before, during, and after your exercise. Dehydration can lead to headaches, which is the last thing that you want.

Piercing

Getting a piercing might seem like an odd way to treat migraine pain, but there are lots of sufferers of this condition who have experienced a drop in their pain level by having their daith pierced. This term describes a piercing in your ear's outer cartilage, just above the entry to the ear canal. You might have your lobes, pierced, but a pierced daith can often provide some relief. Understandably, not every migraine sufferer will want to go to this length to reduce his or her discomfort — however, if you're really miserable as you wait for your surgery date to approach, this might be something that you consider. An alternative is to try acupuncture, as it can also be useful for those with migraines.