How mindfulness meditation can help tame migraines and tension headaches

Tension headaches and migraines are unfortunately common.

A tension headache is what one might think of as a "regular headache every day". The problem is that 3% of the population becomes chronic, which leads to a lot of suffering.

Migraine is the third most common illness in the world, affecting 1 in 7 people. 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men have a migraine, which usually lasts from 2 to 72 hours.

Both conditions can be very debilitating. For people with either, characters like this might be interesting - but the only relief they seek is finally freedom from pain.

Headaches and tension

There are clear associations between headaches and stress-related dysregulation in the activity of parasympathetic-sympathetic branches, leading to dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

In other words, many people with migraines or tension headaches may be unable to recover quickly and effectively from a stressful event that causes or exacerbates these painful conditions.

Recent research shows that mindfulness meditation can be a powerful tool to promote and increase effective recovery after a stressful event, thereby preventing or alleviating migraines and tension headaches that may have been or result from such events.

What does this mean for you?

This means that if you suffer from migraines or tension headaches, you should give mindfulness meditation a try!

Step by Step: How to Use Mindfulness Meditation to Manage Headaches

But how do you know if it's right for you? You have to try for yourself - there is no other way:

Pain diary. Keep a sort of headache diary, with which you can track, among other things: a) the level or intensity of the pain; b) frequency. c) duration. d) Any other associated symptoms (eg photophobia, nausea, dizziness, tingling behind the eyes, tinnitus, etc.). This will determine the baseline level of your pain. It is important that you log in for at least two weeks before proceeding to step 2, so that you can measure the "before". You can use a laptop or one of the many applications available for this purpose.
Mindfulness meditation: Learn and practice some basic mindfulness meditation techniques. It is important not to be discouraged by misconceptions, as there are many myths about meditation.
Tracking and recording. Start keeping a journal of when you meditate, how long you meditate, and maybe take a few quick notes about how you felt before and after the practice.
analyze. Once you have enough data, compare the results to see if migraines and tension headaches are reduced in any way (considering all these dimensions: level or intensity of pain, frequency, duration and any other associated symptoms) through regular practice. .
Rinse and repeat until you are happy with your findings.

Good luck and God bless you!

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in this article. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency room or call the emergency number.

Reference:

“People with tension headaches and migraines show increased heart rate variability during post-stress mindfulness practice, but decreased during post-stress control condition – a randomized controlled trial.” on PubMed.

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