Posted MAY 15, 2017

YOGO FOR MIGRAINE

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Migraine is a neurological disorder that brings with it repeated bouts of headaches, ranging from a high to moderate intensity. The pain is usually either on one side, or one-half of the head. A typical attack can last for either two hours, two days or sometimes even a week. Light and noise are huge aversions when one is suffering from migraine. The other symptoms usually include nausea, vomiting, and aggravated pain during physical activity.

The NHS states that a migraine is one of the more common neurological conditions, ranking higher than epilepsy, asthma, and diabetes put together. Of course, you can have the prescribed medication, but they have many side effects, one of them being drowsiness. As they say, it is always better to go natural, and that is where yoga comes to the rescue.

Headache frequency and intensity were reduced more in Yoga with conventional care than the conventional care group alone. Furthermore, Yoga therapy enhanced the vagal tone and decreased the sympathetic drive, hence improving the cardiac autonomic balance. Thus, Yoga therapy can be effectively incorporated as an adjuvant therapy in migraine patients.

In yogic practice, all forward bending postures are based on exhalation. Headaches are usually cured by deriving ways to supply extra oxygen to the brain. It therefore calls for practices that involve inhalation - hence pranayama becomes an important tool in tackling migraine.

1. Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend)

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This bend calms the mind and invigorates the nervous system by increasing blood supply.

2. Marjariasana (Cat stretch)

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The Cat Stretch improves blood circulation while minimizing stress and helping you breathe better. It relaxes tense muscles to reduce pain.

3. Balasana (Child’s Pose)

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The Child’s pose stretches the hips, thighs and ankles, and helps to relieve stress and fatigue. It calms the nervous system and effectively reduces pain.

4. SetuBandhasan or Bridge pose:

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This asana also helps keep your blood pressure under control, relaxes the mind, calms the brain and reduces anxiety. Apart from that while doing this asana your blood rushes to the brain helping in pain relief.

5.Padmasana

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The Lotus pose relaxes the mind and alleviates headache.

6. Shavasana or Corpse Pose

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The Corpse pose rejuvenates the body by bringing it into a deep state of meditative rest. The yoga routine should be ended by lying down in this

7. Ujjayi Pranayama

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To do this exercise, sit on floor comfortably and cross legged. Do a deep inhalation slowly using both nostrils. Try making a "hissing" noise while inhaling. Once done with it, stretch the inhale time and exhale as much as possible without pressurizing any other part of body. This type of pranayama has shown to be extremely effective in people suffering from thyroid problems. While doing this exercise, one should remember that there should be a slight hissing noise while inhaling. When this is done, the throat is contracted. Now, fill in the lungs with air. After doing this, try to do the Chin-Lock pose. This pose is done touching the throat. Then when you exhale, close the right nostril and exhale from left nostril and do this at least 10 times. If a person has some cardiac issues, then he or she should not retain their breath but inhale and exhale instantly.

8. Paschimottanasana :(Two-legged Forward bend)

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The two-legged forward bend asana calms the brain and relieves stress and can relieve a headache.

Practicing these simple yoga postures will lessen the impact of a migraine attack and may eventually stop them permanently.


Wishing you recovery from Migraine soon!!!