YOGA FOR MIGRAINE

Headache is the most common symptom a doctor is asked to treat apart from common cold. There are different types of headache and the origin is slightly different from each one.

Causes

1.      Hypertension 

2.      Muscular spasm in neck due to sedentary life style or injury to neck due to accident.

3.     Strain in eyes.

4.     Emotional or mental stress

5.     Sinus block

6.     As premenstrual syndrome

7.     Exposure to sunlight

8.     Depression

9.     Among children striving for academic excellence as well as emotional stress related to family, school, or friends

10.  Certain foods, food additives, and beverages

11.  There are some causes of headache which should be treated by medical experts e.g.: meningitis or acute fever, tumors

Migraine can be the effect or the results of any of the above causes too.

Migraine: 
A migraine is a debilitating pain in head that is often preceded or accompanied by sensory warning signs such as flashes of light, blind spots, tingling in the arms and legs, nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. The excruciating pain that migraines bring can last for hours or even days. 

It’s most common form of headache due to various reasons. According to my studies alternative therapies are working well in getting rid of this disorder.

Whatever the causes are the techniques are very similar in yoga and few variations in techniques to suit the needs eg:  due to depression, premenstrual syndrome, sensitive neck or sinus headache .There is hundred percent success rates in practitioners within 6 months to 1 year.

It’s more common in women than in men according to the research done.

 Headache remedies include various types of pain relievers. Migraine treatments may also include anti-nausea drugs and medications to prevent or stop headaches.

Most of the yogic treatments for headaches are same except few changes here and there in Asanas and Pranayamas .

Let’s discuss more yogic way of dealing the migraine which surely helps one to get over their problem however long they have been suffering from.

They need to analyze their lifestyle and find out the actual cause and if finding it difficult, then one need to go gentle and in an introspecting way of eliminating and applying certain techniques very religiously so that one can find the actual root cause of it.

Steps to treat yourself  in times of attack AND as a therapy daily to heal yourself completely in long run are:

Shashankasana

         ·     To begin this pose, you should first assume Vajrasana. Both your palms      should be placed on your knees. Keep your knees apart, so that your abdomen is in between your thigh.

·        Keep your neck and spinal cord straight.

·        Shut your eyes and begin focusing on your breathing and your body. 

·        Take a deep breath and raise your arms up slowly exhale and reach down to touch the ground with your head and both your hands. Do not lift your lower body up.

·        Relax when the forehead and palms touch the ground.

·        Do not hang your neck or stretch but keep it relaxed and back straight and stretched forward.

·        Practice it for 10 mins without any short breath and keep following your breath.

Practice Mahasirs Mudra for migraine or headache for 15 mins or along with pranayama.

 Bhramari

·        Bhramari is practiced in either sitting on chair or on the floor by keeping your back straight with the support of wall so that there is less of strain in back and neck.

·        Close your ears with your thumb and eyes with other four fingers gently.

·        No external sound is heard and no external light disturbing you.

·        You have to inhale for 3 secs or more and while exhaling only the humming sound should come without opening of mouth for 12 secs or more. Try increasing the ratio of inhale and exhale and practice 21 times in 10 mins.

Nadishuddhi pranayama

·        First practice inhale through your left nostril for 3 secs or more then exhale through your right nostril for 6 secs or more. Practice for 5 to 10 mins.

·        One round is left inhale, right exhale and right inhale, left exhale in the ratio of 1:2 .

·        Practice in a min not more than 2 to 3 rounds .

·        This has to be repeated 15 mins during the pain and thrice a day esp once before sleep at night and in the morning as soon you are awake.

ASANAS  (to be practiced daily to prevent migraine or headache and not during the attack)

Greeva Sanchalan (Neck movements)

·        Stand straight with legs close to each other.

·        Lock your arms behind with palm facing up and shoulders pushed back. Stretch your arms down.

·        While inhaling raise your chin up and look towards the ceiling. Hold this posture for 5 seconds and you can hold the breath then while releasing the posture exhale. Avoid chin down to your collarbone. Practice 3 to 5 times

·        Then inhale while exhaling turn your head towards the left hold it for 5 secs then towards the right while exhaling again and hold for 5 secs You can hold the breath for 5 seconds.

·        Awareness in the neck, arms stretched back, shoulder blades close to each and the breath.

Benefits

·        Helps you to overcome neck pain and strengthens your neck muscles.

·        If practiced repeatedly during day time after every 2 hours will prevent as well help overcome pain in neck esp. desk job persons.

·        Don’t practice more than mentioned at one sitting.

·        Has to be practiced slowly.

Skandha chakra (shoulder socket rotation)

·        Loosely place your fingers on your shoulders and arms parallel to each other and to the floor.

·        Inhale while raising your arms up allow your biceps to touch your ears and hold it for a while holding the breath for 5 counts or less if possible ,then exhale while getting it down, touch the sides of the trunk.

·        Rotate your arms slowly along with your breath.If used as therapeutic purpose it has to be repeated 5 times in a day esp when you are in a sedentary life style.

·        Awareness in the shoulders, chin up, back and the breath.

Benefits

·        Helpful in cervical problems and frozen shoulder also helps to get relieve the strain of driving and office work.

·        In turn take care of the strain caused in neck and back.

Parvatasana / Tada asana (Mountain pose)

·        Legs near to each other.

·        While inhaling raise your arms up, interlock your fingers or palm touching each or palm facing upward direction .Exhaling raise your feet up on your toes and focus on the floor. Practice normal breathing.

·        Awareness on your toes, calf, knees, stomach muscles and your breath and do not close your eyes and try maintaining the pose for 10 secs.

·        Repeat this 3 times.

·        If you are having pain in shoulders or neck do not hold more than 5 secs and repeat 5 times.

·        You can repeat this posture many number of times in a day.

·        Awareness in the feet, toes, ankles, calf muscles, knees. abdomen, arms, shoulders, chin up and the breath

Benefits

·        Spine is stretched and loosened and stretches the abdominal muscles,   intestine.

·        Beneficial for shoulder joints and those who do desk job for long hrs.

·        It’s also beneficial for those suffering from leg pain often.

·        The same posture can be done stretching on the door

Shoulder stretch

·        Legs near to each other, while inhaling raise your arms up, hold your palm, and then without releasing your arms bend your left arm sideways and bring your left elbow downward while the right elbow faces upward.

·        The left arm should be behind the head not over the head.

·        Hold it for 30 secs and then repeat the same with the other side.

·        Repeat every 1 hour for those who lead a sedentary life style of sitting in front of pc.

·        Awareness in the neck, shoulder, arms and arch in spine.

Benefits

·        Very beneficial for those suffering from neck, shoulder pain and to relax your shoulder and neck.

Sahaj Hasta Bhujangasana (simple cobra pose)

·        In Makarasana place your elbows in front of your chest, raise your arms vertically upward, placing your palm under your chin and look upward.

·        While inhaling place your elbows near to each other so that there is maximum stretch on your neck and back.

·        Exhale and can maintain this pose for even 1 min.

·        Repeat 3 to 4 times in a day and can be practiced resting your hand on table and chin on the palm.

Benefits

·        This is very useful for those having neck and shoulder pain vertigo problems.

Niralambha Bhujangasana(without support cobra pose)

   

•                   Lie down in prone position with your arms beside your legs.

·        Lock your arms at the back side of your body.

·        Touch the chin on the floor and inhale raise your chin and chest up.

·        Stretch your arms backward and hold it for 5 secs.

·        Exhale and release the pose.

·        Repeat 5 times.

·        Awareness in shoulders, neck and breath.

Benefits:

·        Helps releasing the tension in neck and shoulder and mid back and takes care of vertigo.

Migraines and other types of headache -- such as tension headache and sinus headache etc -- are painful and can rob you from quality of life. You have to take care of your diet too along with right yogic way. My goal is to end the debilitating pain arising from migraine.    Meditate every day on your breath for 15 mins.

                                                                  HARI OM TAT SAT