Health Conditions / Pain

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you might be feeling overwhelmed. Maybe the diagnosis came as a complete surprise—or maybe you had a gut feeling (literally) about it and are continuing to deal with symptoms like abdominal pain, fatigue, and the urgent need to run to the bathroom. Either way, plenty of others are in your position: About 3 million Americans have some form of IBD, according to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.While you’re figuring out a treatment plan, facing the unknowns about how Crohn’s can affect your day-to-day can be intimidating—like, what are the first steps to navigating life with the condition? To find out, we asked seven people with Crohn’s disease to share advice, insight, and guidance for those who just received a new diagnosis.1. Ask for help from those around you.It’s common to feel uneasy about asking for help, especially if you’re not used to it. If that’s how you’re feeling, it might be because the notion of being vulnerable with others makes you feel anxious. Or maybe you just find it awkward to talk about poop and the related bodily functions affected by Crohn’s. However, learning how to ask for help is crucial for not only accepting your diagnosis, but managing it too. After all, support is available in many forms. The first step? Talk to friends and family about your condition, especially when you’re not feeling well. “Obviously, everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to sharing this stuff. However, I’ve found people are more accepting and understanding when [I’m] more honest about what I’m dealing with,” Heather Cobb, a grade school teacher with Crohn’s disease, tells SELF.Makeda Armorer-Wade, the author of Crohn’s Interrupted: Living Life Triumphantly, tells SELF that allowing help from others positively affects her experience with Crohn’s disease: For instance, she established connections with two coworkers who were eager to lend a hand. “Occasionally, they would pick up my medicine,” Armorer-Wade recalls. And when she experienced a flare-up at work, they were happy to bring her supplies from her car, allowing her to stay close to the bathroom. These interactions not only allowed Armorer-Wade to function better at work, but also helped her with the emotional support she needed to get through her day.2. Seek a therapist for professional guidance.After receiving your diagnosis, you may (understandably!) be feeling a whirlwind of uncomfortable emotions, like grief, shock, and anxiety. That’s where care from a licensed therapist or counselor can make all the difference.“A chronic illness like Crohn’s disease impacts every aspect of your life, including your mental health,” Gaylyn Henderson, founder of the advocacy organization Gutless and Glamorous, tells SELF. You might feel like you don’t have anyone to talk to, or maybe you’re embarrassed to discuss what you’re going through, Henderson says. This can be isolating, which is why she recommends speaking to a therapist (bonus points if they specialize in chronic illness) who can teach you how to understand and process your feelings.3. Find a health care team you work well with.As there’s no cure for Crohn’s disease yet, you’ll need to frequently work with a medical team to stay on top of treatment—so it’s critical to find one that it’s in for the long haul, Katie (Gokhshteyn) Riggio, a new mom and technical writer who has Crohn’s disease, tells SELF. “Take your time to find doctors who specialize in IBD and are easily accessible. Most importantly, look for doctors who you can trust [and] feel comfortable with,” she advises.

If you were recently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, you probably have all kinds of questions about what comes next. One of the most overwhelming thoughts you may have post-diagnosis: Will I need to be on meds forever?The truth is, Crohn’s—and all forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for that matter—doesn’t have a cure yet,1 so the goal of treatment is to keep flare-ups under control and prevent further damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Once you and your doctor land on a care plan that accomplishes these things and works for your lifestyle, you should be able to go about your day-to-day life generally symptom-free.Until you reach that milestone, you can empower yourself by learning about the steps you and your doctor should take to figure out the best path forward for you. Below, experts break down the basics of Crohn’s disease treatment—including how it works, how long most people need it, and how to cope with the stress of managing this chronic illness. First, what does Crohn’s disease treatment usually look like? Because Crohn’s disease symptoms—and GI damage caused by the disease—stem from chronic inflammation, most first-line treatments aim to stunt that inflammatory process, the NIDDK notes. But the treatment your doctor recommends will ultimately depend on how much of your bowel is inflamed and how badly, Zoe Gottlieb, MD, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, tells SELF. Some Crohn’s disease treatments—such as oral corticosteroids—help reduce symptoms quickly when they strike (a.k.a. a flare-up).2 Other drugs—oral immunomodulators or biologics, which are given via regular injections or IV infusions—help control the disease long-term by slowing or stopping the inflammation response. Some people who have severe Crohn’s complications may need surgery to remove the affected part of their intestines.1Each person’s experience with Crohn’s disease is different, so each person’s treatment journey is unique too. You may need to try a combination of meds until you find the right ones for you, or switch your meds up if you stop responding to them over time.3 Working with a board-certified gastroenterologist who specializes in IBD can help streamline the process, Sarah Streett, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist and the director of inflammatory bowel disease education at Stanford Health Care, tells SELF.Because your treatment can heavily influence your daily routines, your doctor should work with you to find a medication regimen you both feel good about. For example, if you travel a lot for work, you may prefer to do at-home injections rather than in-office IV infusions if you’re on a biologic. Or, if needles make you feel squeamish, it may be easier to have a health care provider insert an IV rather than injecting the medicine yourself. “We want patients to start therapies they will be comfortable being on in a long-term way,” says Dr. Gottlieb. 

All that is to say: Many COVID symptoms can impact a person’s physical, mental, or emotional capacity to work. “If you have brain fog from long COVID, which makes it difficult for you to concentrate in a sustained fashion on anything, that could create difficulty in almost any job,” William Schaffner, MD, infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tells SELF. People who have symptoms that are difficult to cope with—like chronic pain or fatigue—also “face a challenge, no matter what type of job they have,” he adds.Diana Berrent Güthe, the founder of the COVID-19 education and resource center Survivor Corps, tells SELF that she’s seen this play out with plenty of the organization’s members. “One thing I can say for sure is people are having tremendous difficulty navigating the disability process,” she explains. “It’s complicated for lawyers, let alone anyone suffering from cognitive dysfunction, extreme fatigue, and tremendous pain.” (Under the American Disabilities Act, long COVID is not always considered to be a disability, and “an individualized assessment is necessary” to determine whether long COVID “substantially limits” a person’s life. Read more about that here.) Another major issue is that symptoms can come and go, which makes it hard for some people to predict when they’ll actually be feeling well enough to work. “This is a real shade of gray,” Güthe says. “They don’t know whether going to work on Tuesday may prevent them from going to work on Wednesday. People have good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks.”What should people with long COVID know about returning to work?“Some people are so incapacitated that there’s no question of whether or not they can return to work,” Güthe says, adding that this can certainly lead to “financial trouble” for some folks. However, she also stresses that there is hope for recovery. “I don’t want to be doom and gloom about this—most people do get better over time,” Güthe says, adding, “I’ve heard of a few very lucky people whose employers have been accommodating to the best extent possible but each person’s situation is as unique as their fingerprint.” People with long COVID have typically found that “working collaboratively with their employer to structure their return to work in a way that is manageable for them” is one of the best accommodations they can ask for, Andrew Wylam, a lawyer and the cofounder and president of Pandemic Patients, a nonprofit organization that supports people who have been impacted by COVID-19, tells SELF. “Gradual return to work is helpful, along with flexible hours and remote options,” he says. “People may want to return to work but they don’t want it to trigger their symptoms.”Wylam says that it’s crucial for people with long COVID to “maintain open, constant communication with” their employer and supervisor about their symptoms and limitations. Of course, not every employer is flexible or even willing to make accommodations for people with long COVID. If you think you qualify for disability financial assistance and you’re struggling to figure out the system, Wylam suggests consulting a lawyer, if you can. They can help you understand what reasonable work accommodations look like, navigate workers’ compensation, and identify disability discrimination. (If you need help with this financially, you can look into Wylam’s Pandemic Legal Assistance Network, a national network of attorneys who provide free legal assistance to people who have been affected by COVID-19. You can also find pro bono legal service providers in your state here.)Even though it can be tough, do your best to prioritize your well-being while navigating all of this. “If you have an empathetic and skilled primary care physician who is helping you, great,” Dr. Schaffner says. (They can help refer you to specialists in your area, depending on your symptoms.) “If not, and you’re within a stone’s throw from a major medical center, inquire if they have a long COVID clinic there so you can get on a treatment plan,” he says. And if you just don’t know where to start because you’re overwhelmed, advocacy organizations like Survivor Corps have resources that may help you find the care you need and deserve, including an interactive map that can help you track down specialized clinics in your state. For Güthe, it’s all about taking things one step at a time. “What is happening now is not necessarily going to be your future,” Güthe says. “There’s a road to recovery here.”Related:

Just once, a headache-prone person would like to switch from pumpkins to mistletoe without a skull-splitting headache making an appearance. But where there are heads, there will be headaches—and, for some people, they show up in abundance during the winter months. Basically everyone gets a headache at one point or another—luckily, most are brief annoyances that go away relatively quickly. Frequent or especially painful headaches, however, can be a sign of something more serious, such as a headache disorder. One of the most common headache disorders is migraine, which often causes a throbbing pain on one side of the head, plus other potential symptoms, which can include sensitivity to light and sounds, nausea, and visual, sensory, or speech disturbances called aura, per the US National Library of Medicine. Just like symptoms, headache and migraine triggers vary a ton from person to person. Though science hasn’t been able to verify that the seasons themselves make a difference, anecdotally, many people say their head pain is influenced by the weather, according to the American Migraine Foundation. And there are a handful of theories that might explain this experience. SELF spoke with experts about why winter, in particular, can feel like headache season—and what you can do to feel better during those cold, dreary days.There are a few reasons why you might notice more head pain during winter. “One of the interesting things we see clinically is that people often have a spike in migraine frequency right after the holiday season,” Niushen Zhang, MD, headache division chief and clinical associate professor of neurology at Stanford Medicine, tells SELF.Many people with migraine encounter triggers that can spark attacks—and it’s surprising how many of them we tend to associate with winter. Drinking alcohol (mulled wine, anyone?), too much or too little caffeine (et tu, peppermint latte?), bright or flashing lights, strong smells (like scented candles), and certain foods (aged cheeses and cured meats are biggies) are all potential triggers.1And, yes, weather-related changes can also be migraine triggers, according to the Mayo Clinic. That includes dry air (pick your poison between central heating and the frigid, parched outdoors), extreme cold, and windy or stormy weather. Changes in weather—and the dwindling hours of sunlight that come along with winter—may also cause an imbalance in brain chemicals, like serotonin, and that can actually contribute to migraine attacks in some people.1A single trigger rarely leads to a migraine attack, Dr. Zhang adds. Most triggers build on other factors and only become an issue when enough variables change. “Change is the keyword here,” Dr. Zhang says. “Changes in a person’s environment, change in daily routine, and change in stress levels can all be potential triggers of migraine.”So let’s say you’re not sleeping as well, work is especially stressful as you start a new year, and the food you’re eating has changed in the last couple of months. And, oh yeah, it’s now suddenly cold and dark outside, so your daily power walks have become weekly strolls, at most. Hello, winter headache central. Unfortunately, we can’t just stop winter. But that doesn’t mean you need to suffer.How to fend off migraine attacks this winterTrack your triggers.If you’re nervous that your current treatments won’t stand up to winter, the first step is to identify your triggers and make a plan. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a symptom journal can be extremely useful: It can help you determine what you’re sensitive to and help your physician understand your headaches or migraine attacks better. 

To further boost circulation, you can try a restorative “legs up the wall” posture at the end of your shift, Dr. Ruiz says. Lie down on your back and elevate your legs straight up in the air or up against a wall, above heart level, to get blood flowing to your lower extremities. This pose can also be relaxing, so it may help you mentally unwind after a long day of snipping and chatting, too. 5. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.  If you’re shampooing and conditioning your clients’ hair in addition to blow-drying, cutting, and styling, there’s a good chance that your skin feels like sandpaper at the end of each work day. “When you get your skin wet frequently, this creates an opportunity for water to evaporate off the skin’s surface,” Angela Lamb, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of the Westside Mount Sinai Dermatology Faculty Practice, tells SELF. “As this happens, the skin dries, leaving the skin barrier vulnerable.” The winter months can intensify this desert-hands effect, because water evaporates faster when skin is exposed to cold air and dry indoor heat, Dr. Lamb says. That’s why you should keep a moisturizer handy and regularly apply it throughout the workday. Dr. Lamb recommends a hyaluronic acid–rich formula, like Jergens Cloud Creme ($8, Target), because hyaluronic acid attracts moisture and helps retain it in the skin. (Here are some more ultra-hydrating, derm-approved hand moisturizers.)6. Set boundaries with clients when you need to.In addition to the physical toll, caring for customers all day can also be emotionally exhausting. Hairstylists might need an occasional break from listening to all the details of their regulars’ dating app drama, say, or friend breakups. “Be mindful of how sneaky unpaid emotional labor is in the service industry. Many stylists are women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals, so it’s no surprise that the expectation of emotional labor would fall on them,” Lia Avellino, LCSW, a New York City–based therapist, tells SELF. To preserve your mental health, set verbal boundaries with clients when you need to, Avellino says. If a client is depleting your energy, you can take a page from Hazan’s book. When she feels overextended by a client’s oversharing, she shifts the conversation back to the task at hand. “I say something along the lines of, ‘Sorry, I just have to focus on your color. I want to make it perfect for you,’” she says.What you don’t say can also protect your peace. On days when she doesn’t have the emotional space to weigh in on her clients’ lives, Kim Kimble, celebrity hairstylist and founder of the eponymous hair studio and product line, tells SELF that she focuses on listening—without adding additional comments, advice, or reactions. Devin Graciano, hairstylist and head of product development at Goldie Locks, tells SELF that she’s careful to not reveal too much about her personal experiences when clients are sharing theirs. “While I remain present in the conversation, I try to keep it around them and their circumstances,” she says. “Preserve your energy by simply being a sounding board, rather than inserting yourself, which can drain you.”7. Use grounding techniques to minimize stress and anxiety.Speaking of mental health, during your stretching, movement, and water breaks, or at the end of a long day, you can also try utilizing breathwork exercises, such as box breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and promote a sense of calmness. On days when you’re feeling particularly mentally taxed by other people, Avellino also suggests trying a “containment exercise”: Picture yourself surrounded by a specific color or light that feels calming or powerful to you. Imagine that it’s protecting you from any negative energy (from a client, coworker, whomever) that you don’t want to absorb. This can create a sense of distance from whatever is stressing you out, Avellino says. Perhaps the most important thing to remember when it comes to stylist self-care: You’re worth the effort. Your ability to show up as a go-to person for both Instagram-worthy cuts and supportive life chats starts with showing up for yourself. Related:

If you deal with migraine attacks and have struggled to find a treatment that actually works, you may have toyed with getting a daith piercing—a.k.a. the migraine piercing. Located on the middle ridge of cartilage within the ear—the external, C-shaped part nearest to your ear canal—the daith piercing has become an increasingly popular way to seek migraine pain relief. On TikTok, videos touting the daith piercing’s alleged benefits have racked up hundreds of thousands of views—but whether the technique actually works is more controversial. There isn’t much credible research on daith piercings and migraine. Though a few case studies1 have found that the piercing substantially improved some people’s migraine symptoms, much of the hype behind the trend is purely anecdotal. Some people claim it’s the only migraine treatment that has worked for them, but others say the piercing had no effect, caused an infection, or made their migraine episodes worse.To figure out if it’s ever worth getting a daith piercing for chronic migraine, we asked a couple headache specialists to weigh in. Here’s what they said. Why are daith piercings associated with migraine?The daith piercing came about as an earring fad in the 90s,2 but it wasn’t until around 2015 that speculation about the piercing’s ability to alleviate migraine pain started to pick up, Trevor Gerson, MD, a neurologist and headache specialist at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, tells SELF. Around this time, Dr. Gerson says his headache clinic saw a spike in interest from migraine patients curious about daith piercings. From then up to now, it wasn’t clear if the piercing actually did anything, says Dr. Gerson. Despite the fact that there was—and is—essentially no hard data on the piercing’s effect on migraine, the trend accelerated as people shared their positive experiences on social media. “That’s why it’s spreading, and how it’s spreading,” Dr. Gerson says.How could a daith piercing potentially interact with migraine attacks?There are a few theories as to why daith piercings may help with migraine pain for some people. The leading belief is that, similar to acupuncture, the piercing hits on a pressure point within the ear and changes the chemical balance in the brain, potentially making certain people less prone to migraine symptoms.3 It’s well-known that acupuncture (which involves briefly sticking ultra-thin needles through the skin) can be very effective for headaches, Dr. Gerson says, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a long-term ear piercing will have the same effect.4 Another theory is that the piercing calms down the trigeminal nerve—a nerve that runs throughout the face and ears that influences migraine and head pain—or relaxes the vagus nerve, a nerve connected to the ear that can contribute to headaches.5 Lastly, the benefits could simply be due to a very powerful placebo effect—in which case the person’s belief in the treatment, not the treatment itself, leads to real-life benefits. In all, it’s difficult to pinpoint what’s truly what’s going on.Can a daith piercing really help reduce migraine symptoms?The jury is still out. We finally have a bit of scientific research, but the data is predominantly sourced from one-off case studies. Though case studies are helpful when observing how one person responded to a treatment, the results can’t be applied to other people. In a case study5 published in 2017, a 54-year-old man who struggled with chronic migraine headaches said his symptoms became less frequent and severe after he got a daith piercing. A woman in her 50s had a similar experience, per a 2020 report.2

A “detoxifying” skin care treatment, a relaxing act of self-love, a pampering practice for your pet—if TikTok is to be believed, the benefits of an Epsom salt bath are practically endless. But, trendy as they are, the chemical compounds are old as hell: The salts are named after the English town of Epsom where they were discovered in the early 17th century, and they were subsequently extracted and studied for their potential medicinal properties.1Though they were once considered a high-society luxury, Epsom salt is now super accessible to the masses—it’s sold in bags or boxes at most drugstores and supermarkets, usually for less than $10, and your mom probably has some under her bathroom sink. And while Epsom salt has been connected to all sorts of wellness benefits, it’s probably most known for its alleged pain-relieving properties. You may have seen a fitness influencer suggest an Epsom salt bath to relieve muscle aches after a tough training day or long run, or perhaps your pregnant friend has been trying an Epsom soak to soothe their sore feet.But just because a wellness practice is trendy doesn’t make it legit. Below, experts explain what you should know about the potential benefits of Epsom salt baths (and Epsom salts in general)—and which claims you should take with, ahem, a grain of salt.What is Epsom salt? | Benefits of Epsom salt baths | Epsom salt for sore muscles | Benefits for skin care | Potential risks | How to make an Epsom salt bathWhat exactly is Epsom salt?Epsom salt is a form of magnesium called magnesium sulfate, Chris D’Adamo, PhD, associate director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, tells SELF. Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 enzyme reactions in the body that affect muscle and nerve function, blood sugar and pressure regulation, bone growth, electrolyte function, energy production, and more. The primary source of magnesium for most people is food—leafy greens, fish, legumes, and whole grains are all high in the important mineral.In terms of its medical applications, hospitals sometimes use Epsom salt to treat patients, Dr. D’Adamo says. Doctors may inject intravenous (IV) magnesium sulfate for pain and blood pressure regulation, for example, particularly among pregnant people with preeclampsia, he says.2 And health care practitioners also sometimes use IV and oral magnesium sulfate supplements to treat chronic pain conditions, including migraine, or to address magnesium deficiencies, he adds.3Considering that magnesium in general is extremely important for keeping your body running in top form (and there’s research to suggest that a good proportion of people have lower-than-optimal levels of the mineral) and magnesium sulfate, specifically, is commonly used as a medical treatment, it’s not a stretch to think that an Epsom salt bath may do your body good. Which leads us to…Back to topAre there any proven benefits of Epsom salt baths?First, it’s worth knowing that there are some benefits to taking any bath. It can help your sleep, for one thing, and not just because it’s soothing and de-stressing (which it can be). Warm water also increases your core body temperature, so when you get out of the tub (or shower), your body temperature begins to drop, which signals to your brain that it’s time for rest. (That’s also why sleep experts recommend snoozing in a cool room.) In fact, research suggests that a 10-minute soak in the tub (or warm shower) one to two hours before bedtime can help you fall asleep faster and feel as if you’ve had a better night’s rest.4But what about the benefits of an Epsom salt bath, specifically? To reap any potential perks—beyond the soothing nature of the warm water—you’d need to be able to get the magnesium into your body in some way, where it can then create physiological changes. That could be either by absorbing the magnesium in the bathwater through your skin or inhaling it from the steam of the hot water, says Dr. D’Adamo.

About eight out of 10 people will have back pain at some point in their lives, according to the National Library of Medicine. The upshot: Doing yoga for back pain can help assuage this unfortunately common medical issue.By moving your body through certain yoga positions, you can promote blood flow, improve mobility, release tension, and build strength in key areas. Best part is, you don’t need a yoga studio membership to reap these benefits—there are tons of yoga moves you can do at home to help, zero equipment required.We tapped Candace Harding, DPT, an integrative physical therapist and registered yoga teacher in Arlington, to learn more about the benefits of yoga for back pain as well as do’s and don’ts for adding yoga poses for back pain to your routine. Harding also shared with SELF 12 awesome yoga moves you can try today for a less achy backside, including yoga for upper back pain and yoga stretches for lower back pain.Keep scrolling for all you need to know!What are some benefits of yoga for back pain?Curious how, exactly, yoga can help relieve lower back pain, as well as pain in the upper body? We’ll explain in a sec, but first, let’s get clear on what causes back aches in the first place.For many people, back pain starts because their core is weak, Harding tells SELF. When your core muscles—which include all the muscles in your torso from the top of your diaphragm down to your pelvic floor—aren’t all firing like they should, your back can take on too much stress as it tries to overcompensate. And that stress can translate into pain.“It’s kind of like an office environment where one coworker isn’t doing their job, and for a while, somebody else is willing to pick up the slack,” Harding tells SELF. “But eventually, they get pissed that their coworker isn’t showing up.”Having tight muscles such as hip flexors (a group of muscles along the front of your upper thigh that flex your hips) can also contribute to back pain. That’s because when your hip flexors get tight—which can happen from sitting too much as well as overuse during certain activities, like running—they pull your low back into a reversal of its natural curvature, explains Harding. And that unnatural positioning can cause aches and pains.Quick distinction: When many people talk about back pain, they’re referring to low back pain, says Harding. Low back pain, she explains, which tends to focus around the lumbar spine, is much more common than upper back pain, the latter of which tends to be more interchangeable and related with neck pain and shoulder pain.Regardless of what type of back pain you have (lower back or upper back), a regular yoga practice can help alleviate it. With yoga, you challenge your muscles through a whole bunch of different positions, like twists and bends. And by moving in a wide variety of ways, you can help keep your muscles active, prevent them from getting weaker, and bring blood flow and nutrition to all the different muscles, joints, and tissues in your body, which can promote healing, says Harding.

This isn’t the first time Applegate has talked candidly about her MS symptoms. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the Dead to Me actor shared what it was like to grapple with the neurological condition on set. She told the publication that she felt off-balance while filming a dance scene, and then later had trouble playing tennis. Eventually, she couldn’t ignore the numbness and tingling she felt in her extremities. Sometimes, she had to use a wheelchair while filming and, at one point, a crew member had to physically hold up her legs so she could stand during certain scenes.These are all “very common” symptoms of MS and balance issues are often a “big problem” for people living with the condition, Dr. Jacobs says. “It can lead to a risk for falls, and it’s something that we are very concerned about.”“MS can hit the systems that help you feel and move,” Amit Sachdev, MD, the director of the division of neuromuscular medicine at Michigan State University, tells SELF. “Balance requires feeling the position of the body and adjusting the position. When both feeling and moving are damaged, balance can suffer.”Because of this, Dr. Jacobs says she will often recommend physical and occupational therapy for her MS patients. “Both can offer a lot in terms of your physical stance,” she explains. As for foot pain, Dr. Jacobs says MS can impact sensory pathways in the body, which can trigger a “misinterpretation of sensations.” That can lead to burning and pins-and-needles sensations or even itchiness.While going barefoot can help temporarily alleviate certain symptoms, it’s not always practical. That’s why Dr. Jacobs says she urges people with MS to get “comfortable shoes with a good foundation,” making sure to avoid things like “very high heels” when possible. Customized orthotics can also be helpful for added support and potential pain relief, Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD, the chair of the department of neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, tells SELF.Outside of wearing supportive footwear, using compression socks, and trying various forms of physical therapy, Dr. Jacobs says practicing yoga is also “tremendously helpful for balance.”Applegate later shared on Twitter that she was “incredibly honored” to receive her star. During her speech, she said the support of her loved ones, especially her daughter, has been vital since her diagnosis. “I am blessed every day that I get to wake up and take you to your school,” she said tearfully. “You are my everything. Thank you for standing beside me through all of this.”Related:

All of that is to say: There are options out there beyond lying down in a dark room (although if the “Silent Night” treatment works for you, great.) It’s best to start a medication plan sooner rather than later since it can take some trial and error to find a treatment that works for you.2. Try to stick to your routine as much as possible.Depending on how your family and friends celebrate, holidays could mean lots of traveling, staying up late, getting up early, or skipping meals (maybe in anticipation of one large smorgasbord later in the day).Unfortunately, these elements can be a recipe for migraine attacks. For example, skipping meals or going long periods of time between eating can be a major trigger for many people with migraine, according to the American Migraine Foundation. Getting too little sleep and getting too much sleep can also trigger migraine attacks, the Mayo Clinic notes.That’s why sticking to your usual routine as much as you can is key. “It is essential to keep a consistent schedule for meals, sleep, and aerobic exercise,” Dr. Zhang says. “It sounds simplistic, but it is very effective.” Regular exercise—not always the easiest thing to get during the frantic holiday season—can also help keep symptoms in check for some people, according to the Mayo Clinic. (No need to make your Turkey Trot a marathon, though: Going a bit too hard with exercise can have the opposite effect and actually trigger episodes for some people.)3. Keep your other triggers in mind too.Migraine triggers are as unique as snowflakes, but there are some common ones to keep on your radar, according to the Mayo Clinic. These include alcohol (especially wine), strong smells (hello, candles), loud sounds, certain foods like aged cheeses and cured meats, and food additives like aspartame and MSG, among so many others. So the next time you leave a festive party that had a delicious charcuterie spread, plenty of boozy drinks, and loud music and laughter, you may be able to anticipate a headache coming on.If you know of a trigger that is a no-go for your migraine, plan for how you can avoid it, if possible. If wine is a problem, for example, BYOB that doesn’t set off your pain to the holiday party, or bring a fun booze-free beverage to share if alcohol just isn’t your thing. The same advice applies to food: The more the merrier, so bring a dish you know you can enjoy and want to share with others. If strong smells can hurt your head, alert your host (if you feel comfortable enough), and ask if they can avoid scented candles or opt for having gatherings in well-ventilated or outdoor spaces.That said, if you’re not entirely sure what your triggers are, you’re not alone. “It’s often hard to pinpoint triggers,” Dr. Zhang says. And they’re not always a surefire way to ward off a migraine headache. “Triggers are usually partial and additive,” she says. So it’s rare that loud sounds on their own will trigger a migraine—but loud sounds after a stressful day at work on too little sleep? Not a great combination.4. Surround yourself with supportive people.Not everybody gets what it’s like to live with migraine—or will respect the steps you have to take to be as pain-free as possible. So try to choose a holiday circle that does get it. “Embrace the people who understand,” Natalia Murinova, MD, the director of the University of Washington Medicine Headache Center, tells SELF.