The occurrence of migraines has significantly increased worldwide during the last three decades. One of the most prevalent neurological disorders in the world, migraine episodes affect more than 1 billion individuals annually. Thankfully, there are several alternatives for managing and reducing pain, which may be broadly divided into acute and preventative therapies.

Acute Treatments: Immediate Migraine Pain Relief

The purpose of acute therapy is to provide quick relief as soon as a migraine episode begins. Before the pain worsens, these medications attempt to stop it or make it manageable.

OTC (Over-the-Counter) Drugs

OTC drugs are the initial line of treatment for a lot of people. These are readily available at the majority of pharmacies and include choices like:

• Ibuprofen
• Acetaminophen
• Aspirin

While generally safe, frequent use of OTC medications can lead to side effects or rebound headaches, so it's important to use them sparingly.

Prescription Medications

Prescription medications may be recommended by medical professionals for more severe migraines. Acute attacks are often treated with triptans, including sumatriptan. These medications are effective but can have unfavourable side effects such nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. They are available as tablets, nasal sprays, and injectables. Even though they are rare, severe side effects might include chest pain or trouble breathing.

An alternative that is less frequently administered than ergotamine but has comparable adverse effects is dihydroergotamine. Chlorpromazine and other anti-nausea drugs may also be utilised if the migraine is accompanied by nausea.

Opioids can be used in rare instances to relieve severe migraine pain, but they are ineffective and often abused.

Non-Medical Strategies

In addition to prescription medication, non-pharmacological treatments can be used to manage migraines. Avoiding bright lights or sleeping in a quiet, dark atmosphere can help to reduce the intensity of an episode. A heated heating pad or cold compresses placed on the head or neck may also be soothing. Relaxation approaches such as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness can help prevent attacks by lowering stress, while biofeedback therapy helps manage body processes and promote calm.

Preventive Care: Sustainable Solutions

Preventive treatment can give long-term relief to patients who experience frequent or severe migraines by reducing the frequency and intensity of attacks.

Lifestyle Adjustments

Migraines can be prevented in great part by changing one's lifestyle. It can be advantageous to detect and avoid known triggers, such as certain meals (alcohol, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners). A well-balanced diet, moderate exercise, and appropriate water intake are also essential. Furthermore, crises can be avoided by reducing stress through activities such as relaxation exercises.

People suffering from menstrual migraines can control their symptoms by using self-care measures such as warming pads, magnesium supplements, and reducing alcohol consumption.

Preventative Drugs

It has been established that some medicines, such as antidepressants, reduce the frequency of migraines. Antidepressants such as venlafaxine and amitriptyline might take up to four weeks to start functioning. Possible adverse effects include altered appetite, diarrhoea, and dry mouth.

Injections of Botox

Botox injections are another typical preventive measure. Botox injections can help reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines when delivered every three months. It does, however, come with certain risks, including vision problems, swallowing difficulties, and muscle weakness. Speak with an expert injector to ensure your safety.

Devices for Neurostimulation

Neurostimulation devices such as Cefaly and GammaCore provide alternate therapeutic options. These prescription-only, non-pharmaceutical devices function by activating nerves to relieve migraine pain. They give a non-invasive alternative to traditional medications, despite the fact that insurance does not now cover them.

Are there any home remedies too?

You would be surprised to know that a home-remedy, though not necessarily backed by many studies can help you feel better. This was a piece of advice on TikTok that went viral, claiming that it treats migraine. The advice was: to dip your legs in hot water. While not much work has been done around this, a small study by Sujan and colleagues found that if you get the toes in warm water, you can reduce the intensity and frequency of migraines. This happens because warm water helps to reopen the arteries in the head and restore blood flow to the area, triggering the headache. There are also some evidences that say applying a cold pack just at the base of the skull for 15 to 20 minutes can also help relieve migraine. However, some studies claim that it has no effects whatsoever.

In a refreshing departure from traditional workouts, an international team of researchers has identified a joyful and highly effective way to reduce stress, build resilience, and enhance well-being—dancing. According to a recent study published in the Psychology of Sport & Exercise, dancing not only lifts your mood but also triggers a powerful biological response that supports mental health.

“By dancing, we can tap into a natural stress-relief mechanism that enhances our resilience and helps us cope with daily pressures,” said Jonathan Skinner, co-author of the study and a researcher at the University of Surrey in the UK. “It’s fascinating to see how something as enjoyable as dance can have such profound effects on our mental health.”

The study highlights how dancing encourages the release of feel-good hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin. These chemicals are known to reduce anxiety and foster social bonding. Researchers observed a decrease in levels of cortisol—the stress hormone—as well as reductions in heart rate and blood pressure among participants who danced regularly.

Beyond the biological benefits, dancing offers psychological advantages too. It allows for emotional expression, strengthens social connections, and can be a gateway to a sense of community. “Encouraging people to move together can create a sense of belonging and support while enhancing their ability to cope with stress,” Skinner added.

Mental Health Concerns Are On Rise Globally

These findings come at a time when mental health concerns are on the rise globally. Experts are now advocating for dance to be incorporated into community health programs, schools, and wellness initiatives. The accessibility of dance is a key advantage—it can be done solo or in groups, at home or in studios, and requires no special equipment, making it an inclusive form of exercise.

In fact, a 2022 review published in Frontiers in Physiology echoed similar conclusions. It noted that dancing improves both physical and emotional health in children and adolescents, and recommended that policymakers and educators seriously consider dance-based programs to promote long-term physical activity.

For adults, dance can be a fun way to meet the World Health Organisation's recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days.

The style of dance also plays a role in how many calories you burn. According to Healthline, a 150-pound person can burn around 118 calories in 30 minutes of ballroom dancing and up to 207 calories doing swing. Ballet improves strength and posture, Zumba boosts cardiovascular endurance, and even pole dancing is gaining popularity among older adults for its fitness benefits.

Whether it is salsa, hip-hop, or a kitchen dance party, the rhythm of movement could be just what your body and mind need. In a world that often prioritises high-intensity routines and rigid schedules, dance offers a more joyful, expressive path to health.

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk scored a huge legal victory that restricts compounding pharmacies from marketing or selling cheaper, unapproved versions of its blockbuster weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. On Monday, US District Judge Mark Pittman denied the Outsourcing Facilities Association's bid for a preliminary injunction that would have prevented the FDA from taking action against its members for making copies of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.

What Do Compounding Pharmacies Do?

Compounding is a process where pharmacies mix ingredients of a drug to create a specialised version for specific patients. Say someone is allergic to a dye in a branded medication or needs a liquid form, and the main manufacturer only sells capsules. In that case, the patient can turn to a compounded version or the liquid form. Moreover, when drugs are in short supply, they can be compounded in larger quantities to help fill the gap.

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to these compounding firms when they didn't have enough money to afford the costly weight loss treatments. The prices of both Wegovy and Ozempic rose exponentially, given the skyrocketing demand in the last two years. Notably, the Texas judge's verdict came in response to a February lawsuit from a compounding trade group against the FDA's determination that the active ingredient in those drugs, semaglutide, is no longer in shortage in the US. The decision also means the FDA can start targeting federally regulated 503B pharmacies, which manufacture compounded drugs in bulk with or without prescriptions, after May 22. The agency’s actions can include product seizures and warning letters to pharmacies.

How Do Semaglutides Work?

Semglutide is the synthetic version of GLP-1, a natural hormone produced in the intestines that regulates blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. Now, every time you eat, your body produces various hormones, including GLP-1. These are called post-nutrition hormones and help you absorb the energy you just consumed.

GLP-1 travels to your pancreas, prompting it to produce insulin. It also travels to the hypothalamus in your brain, which gives you the feeling of being full or satiated. Ozempic imitates this hormone, thereby silencing the food chatter in the brain. Interestingly, for some people this food chatter is really quiet ( people with low appetite), and for others, it is an outburst (people who generally binge eat.) So with Ozempic, silencing this self-talk in the brain, people tend to lose their appetite and eventually weight.

However, it is important to note that losing weight includes not just fat but muscle as well. Losing too much muscle can lead to reduced strength and a shorter life span. Notably, records show that most people who start taking them stop it at 12 weeks; therefore, it is important for some but not for others.

As we today observe the World Dance Day, let us look at what dancing can help us with. Of course, the physical benefits are there. When you move your body, do any sort of physical activities, you are working out in some form and it helps you stay fit. Like everyone have their fitness regime, your dance routine can also help you stay fit. In fact there are certain fitness regime, including Zumba that keeps you fit through dance.

However, the benefits go much beyond just physical fitness, dancing can actually help you live a stress free life.

TikTok Dances For Mental Health

In one of the latest trends in TikTok, people are bringing back pangs of nostalgia to the internet with their 90s dance on rapper Doechii's song 'Anxiety' from the "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air".

Why is this trend important? With big names also jumping in and dancing to the rhythms, including Wil Smith and Tatyana Ali, experts say that this is helping ordinary people normalize anxiety.

Certain anxiety disorders are marked by persistent, or excessive worry. It could be fear about situations. As per the Mayo Clinic, these moments of anxiety can include panic attacks and sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort

Research suggest that creative activities, including dancing can help relieve this stress. Dancing also engages multiple areas of the brain and demands full attention, which can then shift the focus from anxiety feelings. Supporting this idea, a 2021 study from UCLA Health found that conscious dance led to mental health improvements in a large majority of participants, particularly those dealing with anxiety, depression, or a history of trauma.

Dancing: A Complete Stress Buster

Dance involves full-body movement and coordination. This kind of physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins—natural chemicals in the brain that act as mood boosters and stress relievers. During a panic attack, when anxiety can feel overwhelming, these endorphins help calm the body and mind.

Engaging in dance also activates deep breathing patterns, especially in structured styles like Indian classical dance. This is important because panic attacks often lead to rapid, shallow breathing or hyperventilation. The breath control involved in dancing can help slow things down and regulate the body’s response.

In addition, dance improves body awareness. When someone is in the middle of a panic attack, they often feel disconnected or dissociated from reality. Focusing on movement—on the placement of your arms, the rhythm of your steps, the tension in your muscles—can bring attention back to the present. This grounding effect helps reduce the intensity of the attack and prevents it from escalating.

Dance as a Distraction and a Mindfulness Tool

Experts explain that one reason dance can be so effective is because it serves as a powerful distraction. Instead of spiraling into anxious thoughts, the brain is forced to concentrate on movement, rhythm, and coordination. This temporary shift in focus can prevent panic from taking over.

Dance also builds mindfulness, a practice often recommended in therapy. Whether it's through a slow classical routine or a high-energy freestyle session, dance requires attention to the now. The combination of mental focus and physical release gives the body a chance to reset and relax.