Bizarre viral migraine hack can really work, says neurologist — here's how

New York Post

10-07-2025

Heads up, bottles up.
Worldwide, more than 1 billion people suffer from migraines — and because the cause isn't fully understood, treating them can be tricky, with suffers often curling up in a dark, quiet room, waiting for the pain to pass.
But one young woman has revealed the bizarre, unlikely hack that works for her — even when pain meds don't.
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And a neurologist told The Post her method actually makes sense.
3 In a viral video, Tilly Walker revealed that she balances a bottle on her forehead to fight migraines.
TikTok/@toeatilly
In a viral video, Tilly Walker (@toeatilly) lies in bed, face up, while balancing a full bottle of Evian water on her forehead.
'How I sleep, as no medicine helps my migraines, but balancing a water bottle on my head stops the pain,' she explained.
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She said figuring it out has been 'life-changing knowledge.'
While this basic balancing act may seem like too simple a solution, experts say there's science to support it.
'There is a long history of using pressure on the forehead to relieve pain, from placing stones on the body to tying a handkerchief tight on the head,' Noah Rosen, MD, a neurologist and director of the Northwell Headache Center, told The Post.
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'Some of the benefits from this may be Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control (or DNIC), where a strong stimulus may suppress another one, like rubbing around a paper cut.
'There have even been devices like the Nerivio patch, which try to use a stimulus on the arm to reduce headaches.'
3 While there is no known cure for the menace that is a migraine, the internet is rife with remedies.
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For Tilly, the pressure is key — she noted that the bottle has to be full for it to work.
And commenters have pointed out how absolutely desperate she must have been when she stumbled upon the trick.
'This is the sort of thing that only a person with a migraine could think of trying,' wrote one.
But she's not alone — several commenters have admitted to using the water bottle method as well.
'GIRL!!! I thought I was the only one doing it, it works so well,' one said.
Rosen noted that the bottle may also function as a mindfulness tool, offering further relief..
3 Rosen notes that the bottle may also function as a mindfulness tool.
licvin – stock.adobe.com
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'Focusing on the bottle rather than the pain may help to be in the moment rather than focusing on a discomforting abstraction,' he explained.
Other commenters have chimed in to share their own weird recommendations for alleviating a severe headache, including consuming raw mimosa flowers, wearing an eye mask, applying potato slices to the forehead, submerging feet in hot water, and getting a daith or inner ear piercing.
Other cures include the viral 'migraine meal,' which consists of a large Coca-Cola and a large order of fries from McDonald's.
One viral video — with more than 3.8 million views — shows a girl at the fast-food chain's drive-thru with overlay text reading, 'Trying McDonald's chips [fries] and a Diet Coke because I've had a headache for 48 hours and TikTok said it would help.'
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Doctors say the caffeine in soda can operate as a nerve disruptor, a substance that affects nerve activity and blood flow to the brain. Sometimes, this disturbance works positively, but it's a roll of the dice or a draw of the straw, as caffeine consumption can also trigger migraines.
In addition, the salt and sugar present in the 'migraine meal' can constrict blood vessels and also impact blood flow to the brain.
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Aside from fast food, experts have seen success in using magnesium to prevent migraines.
For his part, Rosen says the water bottle hack is a generally safe choice for migraine sufferers so long as they take precautions.
'I would say if you do it, be careful and don't let it hurt your eyes, nose or spill on you!'