Post COVID Migraine in a Six Day Cycle

[Sasha]

When I was getting lot of cramps, I bought a magnesium product that was supposed to be absorbed through the skin. I then spent some time looking at the evidence for transdermal Mg absorption. Turned out, there was not much evidence to support the idea of delivering magnesium via the skin. The evidence is contested, but from what I've seen, the studies suggesting that there is significant magnesium uptake tend to come from organisations with an interest in promoting a transdermal magnesium product.

Myth or Reality—Transdermal Magnesium? 2017


Maybe a warm foot bath helps with blood circulation, or even just extra rest and muscle relaxation, and those things might impact on a migraine?

I also had a look at studies on transdermal absorption when I was initially looking into this and IIRC there were quite a lot of contradictory ones but in the end I landed on it sounding as though there was reasonable absorption particularly if the concentration of Mg in the water is high, and if the water is warm. I didn't look into conflicts of interest, though, so maybe your assessment of the literature was better than mine!

However, any impact on blood circulation is going to be very temporary, and I don't find the baths restful - quite the opposite, because I have to remain sitting, and I'm no more relaxed than when I don't have my feet in a bath - I just carry on doing whatever I'd be doing otherwise (eating, reading, watching the TV, writing on the computer). And I find the effects to be cumulative over periods of weeks. So going by my experience, I think there's something in it, but N=1, possible misattribution, etc. etc.