Sounds strange, but people swear this helps migraines—would you try it?
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Migraines have driven countless people to the brink—desperate for anything that might ease the crushing pain.
But what if the answer wasn’t in a pill, a treatment plan or even a doctor’s office?
What if the trick involved just a bottle of water...balanced on your head?
Tilly Walker, a young woman who suffers from debilitating migraines, stunned millions when she shared her unusual solution on social media.
In the viral clip—viewed over 36 million times—Tilly lay flat on her back with a full bottle of Evian water balanced 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 in the video.
Tilly described the discovery as ‘life-changing knowledge’.
Although her balancing act might seem ridiculous to the uninitiated, a leading neurologist said there could actually be science behind it.
Dr Noah Rosen, neurologist and director of the Northwell Headache Center, shared that using pressure on the forehead has long been a pain relief method.
‘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,’ he said.
‘Some of the benefits from this may be Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control 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.’
Tilly insisted the bottle must be full—empty ones just don’t work.
Commenters were quick to sympathise with the trial-and-error process that must have led to her discovery.
‘This is the sort of thing that only a person with a migraine could think of trying,’ one wrote.
She wasn’t alone either.
Several others chimed in saying they too had tried the same odd technique—and swore by it.
‘GIRL!!! I thought I was the only one doing it, it works so well,’ one user exclaimed.
Dr Rosen added that the balancing bottle might also help by shifting mental focus.
‘Focusing on the bottle rather than the pain may help to be in the moment rather than focusing on a discomforting abstraction,’ he explained.
Social media users also shared their own offbeat migraine relief tips.
Suggestions ranged from submerging feet in hot water and applying potato slices to the forehead, to wearing an eye mask, eating raw mimosa flowers, and even getting a daith piercing.
One quirky remedy making the rounds was the so-called ‘migraine meal’—a large order of fries and a Coca-Cola from McDonald’s.
In a clip that racked up more than 3.8 million views, a woman sat at a drive-through with the caption: ‘Trying McDonald’s chips and a Diet Coke because I’ve had a headache for 48 hours and social media said it would help.’
Experts say caffeine can disrupt nerve activity and blood flow to the brain—sometimes reducing pain, sometimes making it worse.
Salt and sugar can also constrict blood vessels and alter blood flow, which might explain the temporary relief.
Aside from social media trends, doctors have long recognised magnesium as a potential way to prevent migraine episodes altogether.
As for Tilly’s method, Dr Rosen advised trying it with care.
‘I would say if you do it, be careful and don’t let it hurt your eyes, nose or spill on you!’ he said.
If you’ve ever relied on over-the-counter medication to manage headaches, you might want to take a closer look at what you’re really putting into your body.
While simple tricks like pressure or distraction may offer relief, some mainstream pain remedies come with surprising risks.
Here’s what experts say you need to watch out for when reaching for that quick fix.
Read more: Your pain relief choices could be doing your body more harm than good!
Could balancing a water bottle really be the breakthrough migraine sufferers have been waiting for?
But what if the answer wasn’t in a pill, a treatment plan or even a doctor’s office?
What if the trick involved just a bottle of water...balanced on your head?
Tilly Walker, a young woman who suffers from debilitating migraines, stunned millions when she shared her unusual solution on social media.
In the viral clip—viewed over 36 million times—Tilly lay flat on her back with a full bottle of Evian water balanced 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 in the video.
Woman claims water bottle eases migraines. Image source: Tiktok/@toeatilly
Tilly described the discovery as ‘life-changing knowledge’.
Although her balancing act might seem ridiculous to the uninitiated, a leading neurologist said there could actually be science behind it.
Dr Noah Rosen, neurologist and director of the Northwell Headache Center, shared that using pressure on the forehead has long been a pain relief method.
‘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,’ he said.
‘Some of the benefits from this may be Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control 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.’
Tilly insisted the bottle must be full—empty ones just don’t work.
Commenters were quick to sympathise with the trial-and-error process that must have led to her discovery.
‘This is the sort of thing that only a person with a migraine could think of trying,’ one wrote.
She wasn’t alone either.
Several others chimed in saying they too had tried the same odd technique—and swore by it.
‘GIRL!!! I thought I was the only one doing it, it works so well,’ one user exclaimed.
Dr Rosen added that the balancing bottle might also help by shifting mental focus.
‘Focusing on the bottle rather than the pain may help to be in the moment rather than focusing on a discomforting abstraction,’ he explained.
Social media users also shared their own offbeat migraine relief tips.
Suggestions ranged from submerging feet in hot water and applying potato slices to the forehead, to wearing an eye mask, eating raw mimosa flowers, and even getting a daith piercing.
One quirky remedy making the rounds was the so-called ‘migraine meal’—a large order of fries and a Coca-Cola from McDonald’s.
In a clip that racked up more than 3.8 million views, a woman sat at a drive-through with the caption: ‘Trying McDonald’s chips and a Diet Coke because I’ve had a headache for 48 hours and social media said it would help.’
Experts say caffeine can disrupt nerve activity and blood flow to the brain—sometimes reducing pain, sometimes making it worse.
Salt and sugar can also constrict blood vessels and alter blood flow, which might explain the temporary relief.
Aside from social media trends, doctors have long recognised magnesium as a potential way to prevent migraine episodes altogether.
As for Tilly’s method, Dr Rosen advised trying it with care.
‘I would say if you do it, be careful and don’t let it hurt your eyes, nose or spill on you!’ he said.
If you’ve ever relied on over-the-counter medication to manage headaches, you might want to take a closer look at what you’re really putting into your body.
While simple tricks like pressure or distraction may offer relief, some mainstream pain remedies come with surprising risks.
Here’s what experts say you need to watch out for when reaching for that quick fix.
Read more: Your pain relief choices could be doing your body more harm than good!
Could balancing a water bottle really be the breakthrough migraine sufferers have been waiting for?
