Migraine Relief

Migraines as classified as vascular headaches, in which the arteries around the head first constrict, then suddenly dilate. When restricted blood flow is released, the pressure of rapidly pulsing blood swells and inflames the arteries, causing pain.

Common migraines are characterized by throbbing, blinding, unrelenting pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Classic migraines have these symptoms, as well as flashing lights, blind spots, short-term loss of vision, and warning signs ten minutes to an hour before the headache strikes. Both tend to be extremely debilitating.

Migraine triggers vary by person. They include stress and anxiety; lack of food or sleep; bright light or loud noise; chocolate, aged cheese, red meat, red wine or beer; sugar or caffeine; food additives such as MSG, nitrites, or nitrates; and environmental toxins. Oral contraceptives, ovulation, and menopause can set off migraines in women, as can just their regular menstrual cycle.

About 75% of migraine sufferers are women. They are most common between the ages of 25 and 45 (although I spoke to one woman who had them from age three) when there are multiple commitments around family, job, and social life.

There is a “migraine personality”: Dr. Christiane Northrup describes “pushing myself mercilessly in school and in all my activities.” Linda Sparrowe, in The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health, portrays the typical sufferer as “a high-strung, compulsive worker who is hypersensitive to the stimuli around her. She is extraordinarily organized, a perfectionist who values order and can be very self-critical. Highly emotional, she reacts quickly to stress and has a tendency to get angry easily, either blowing up at the slightest provocation or holding her emotions inside for fear of exploding.”

Stress is the most common migraine trigger. Not major but temporary stresses like moving, getting married, or starting a new job, but the regular day-to-day ones of juggling career, motherhood, and partnership in the midst of financial pressures.

Dr. Northrup says that stress “shorted out” her body’s electromagnetic system; it was her body’s way of saying it needed rest, recreation, and nurturing. She discovered that her migraines could be interrupted by relaxing totally, and warming her hands.

Make time for yourself, and find healthy ways to deal with stress. Lifestyle changes might be in order. A healthy diet, regular exercise, relaxation exercises, and getting enough sleep are one place to start. A tip from Dr. Northrup is to stay in touch with your emotions; she believes that migraines could be the result of emotions that have been repressed, and are your body’s way of trying to get your attention. Pinpoint factors in your life that cause stress and reduce them or figure how to better cope with them. Biofeedback, acupuncture, and yoga can help lessen the severity and frequency of migraines.

Linda Sparrowe’s book on yoga for women contains a sequence of poses for migraines. The poses and breathing exercises provide for a release of built-up tension, and help prevent or relieve pain. Deeper than that, they also help balance the endocrine and nervous systems, two interrelated systems that play a significant role in producing headache pain. Yoga poses help us rest and rejuvenate, while also giving us strength and support, which helps us deal with pain and stress. Various poses help regulate the blood flow to and around the head, balance the contraction and dilation of blood vessels, release tension in the shoulders and neck, and open the chest, providing more oxygen and fresh blood to the area. Restorative poses help quiet the mind and notch down the nervous system. Rhythmic breathing emphasizing the exhalation signals the body to return to equilibrium.

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