Health
Can Masturbation Help a Migraine? What the Research Says
Health
Can masturbation help a migraine?
Sex is not the first thing on your mind when your head is pounding. There is real research on whether an orgasm eases a migraine attack, and the answer is more mixed than the headlines suggest.
If you get migraines, you know the difference between a headache and an attack. The throbbing, the nausea, the light sensitivity, the hours or days lost in a dark room. Medication helps a lot of people, but not everyone, and not every time.
Sexual activity keeps coming up as a possible circuit breaker. It sounds like a punchline, but it has been studied. Here is what the research actually found, without the tabloid spin.
What the research found
The most useful study is an observational one from the University of Münster, published in Cephalalgia in 2013. Researchers surveyed 800 migraine patients and 200 cluster headache patients, and 402 people replied.
Of the migraine patients who replied, 103 had tried sexual activity during an attack. Among that group:
- 60% said it helped. About one in five of those reported the migraine cleared completely, and about half reported moderate relief.
- 33% said it made things worse.
- The remainder noticed no change either way.
Cluster headache went the other way. Of the 30 people who tried it, about 37% improved and 50% got worse, so it looks like a poor bet for that condition.
An earlier report by Evans and Couch in Headache (2001) described a migraine easing within minutes of orgasm. That is a single case, not proof of anything on its own, but it is part of why the idea got looked at properly.
So the honest read: for roughly six in ten migraine sufferers who try it, it does something. For roughly three in ten, it backfires. That is worth knowing before you try it, and it is why nobody sensible calls this a treatment.
Why it might work
Researchers point to a few things that happen in the body around orgasm. None of this is settled science, and the studies are small.
Endorphins
Orgasm triggers a release of endorphins, the body’s own pain-dampening chemicals. They act on the same receptors as opioid painkillers.
Serotonin
Low serotonin is linked to migraine onset. Several migraine drugs work on serotonin pathways, and sexual arousal affects them too.
Oxytocin and dopamine
Both rise around orgasm. They lower stress and bring on the settled, sleepy feeling that follows, which helps if tension is part of the picture.
Pain tolerance
The relaxed state afterwards can raise your threshold for discomfort, so the pain that is left registers as more bearable.
If you want to try it
- Work with the dark, quiet room you are already in. You do not need to change anything about the setting.
- Keep it slow. Gentle, unhurried touch with plenty of lube asks less of your body than anything intense.
- Let a toy do the work if moving your head or arms makes the pain spike. A hands-free or long-handled toy takes the effort out of it.
- Drop any expectation of a result. If it helps, good. If it does not, you have lost nothing.
- Drink water afterwards. Dehydration is a common migraine trigger on its own.
This is not medical advice
Nothing here replaces advice from your doctor. If your migraines are frequent, getting worse, or feel different from usual, see a GP. Sudden severe headache during sex or exertion is a recognised reason to seek medical attention promptly.
The other reasons people bother
Even when the headache does not shift, regular masturbation is linked with a few things that matter to migraine sufferers:
- Stress. Stress is one of the most commonly reported migraine triggers, and orgasm reliably brings stress levels down for a while.
- Sleep. Poor sleep and migraine feed each other. The drowsiness that follows orgasm makes falling asleep easier for a lot of people.
- Muscle tension. Tight neck and shoulders contribute to tension headaches, and physical release tends to loosen them off.
Common questions
Does it have to be an orgasm, or is arousal enough?
The research measured sexual activity through to orgasm. The suggested mechanisms, particularly the endorphin release, are tied to orgasm rather than arousal alone.
Could it make my migraine worse?
Yes. Around a third of the migraine patients in the Münster study reported their headache worsened. If that happens to you once, it is reasonable not to try it again during an attack.
Is this a substitute for my migraine medication?
No. Keep taking what your doctor has prescribed. Think of this as something you might try alongside, not instead of.
What kind of toy suits someone mid-attack?
Something that needs little effort and little noise. Quiet motors matter when sound is painful, and a toy you can use lying still saves you from moving your head. Our beginner vibrator guide covers the basics.
Find something that suits you
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Shop the rangeSources: Hambach A, Evers S, Summ O, Husstedt IW, Frese A. The impact of sexual activity on idiopathic headaches: an observational study. Cephalalgia 2013;33(6):384-9. Evans RW, Couch R. Orgasm and migraine. Headache 2001;41:512-4.