If you suffer from migraines, you know they can be incapacitating and have a huge impact on your quality of life. Consider incorporating a yoga practice into your lifestyle to complement other treatment you may be following to manage your migraines.
Migraine is one of the most common and most disabling chronic neurological conditions. Attacks tend to occur on one side and cause a pulsating sensation, and can last from hours to multiple days. If this sounds familiar to you, you know that when a migraine attack comes on, it can knock you out and totally upset your routine. Research has indicated that a majority of migraine sufferers experience around 4 headache days in a month.
treating migraines has traditionally been medication-based
When you experience a migraine, it is incredibly painful. Traditional treatments for migraines is medication-based and focuses on treating the acute pain during an active migraine attack or on reducing the frequency and severity of the attacks. Medication-based treatment is commonly prescribed and generally falls into two categories: pain-relief and prevention. Pain-relieving medication focus on addressing pain experiencing during the actual migraine attack, and examples include triptans, dihydroergotamine, lasmiditan, calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists, zavegepant (nasal), opioids, and anti-nausea medications. Prevention medications focus on reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, and examples include botox, anti-seizure drugs, and blood pressure-lowing medications.
the role of lifestyle remedies, including yoga
Lifestyle and home remedies that focus on establishing a stable routine and lowering stress and anxiety have been shown to reduce symptoms and severity of migraine attacks. In general, these types of remedies should be considered as part of a holistic treatment plan to reduce the frequency and severity of migraines, support a healthful and stable routine, and support a better quality of life. Studies have shown that yoga is an effective add-on therapy for patients with migraines in order to reduce the severity of their symptoms, anxiety, and stress.
To learn more about the literature review and further research needed, head over to our summary at Yoga Activist: https://yogaactivist.org/about/development/thanks/141-2/yoga-as-adjunctive-therapy-for-migraines/
