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Migraine is a common medical condition that cause severe headaches or a pulsing sensation on one side of the head. It sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine headaches often begin in early adulthood. Some people experience it several times a week and some experience occasionally. Migraine attack can last for hours to days and pain can be so severe that it interfere the daily activities. 

How Yoga is Helpful in Migraine People

People commonly use medication to treat their symptoms but according to the study, yoga may also be an effective way to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. 

Yoga is a mind and body therapy, which is now practiced worldwide.  It involves poses, meditation, and breathing exercises. Yoga plays important role in relieving symptoms of migraine. Yoga helps lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and reduce stress, allowing the body to recover from migraine. 

According to a study from the ‘International Journal of Yoga’, it has ability to relieve migraine. Apart from this, it has many other benefits that play role in migraine like decrease stress levels, relieve anxiety, improve heart health, quality of life, improve breathing, strength, flexibility and balance.  It is also found that those suffering from migraine pain, if practice yoga therapy for 30 mins, 5-6 times weekly, found much less symptoms and fewer attacks of migraines. 

Recent research in 2021 convinced that yoga can improve migraine symptoms along with standard medical treatment, which further improve the quality of life 

Previous study also found that yoga reduces migraine symptoms and pain intensity and also improves quality of life, when paired with Ayurveda. Other research also concluded that a yoga intervention significantly improved headache frequency and pain intensity. 

Which poses to try

According to the study, these yoga poses helped reduced headache frequency and intensity in migraine people.

Sukshma Vyayama: This type of yoga includes exercises that loosen and relax the neck, face, and head. It help to cure many ailments and provide strength. 

How to do it: Take the first, middle, and ring finger from the jawline to the chin and massage the cheeks with a mouth open. Concentrate on gently kneading out knots. Open and close the jaw 8 to 10 times. Open the mouth and wiggle your jaw side to side 10 times. Interlock your fingers behind your head. Push your hands against your head and resist with your head and hold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 5 times. Rotate the head clockwise and anticlockwise. Take the breathe in as the head goes up and breath out with the head back to the starting position. Repeat this 5 to 6 times clockwise and anticlockwise.

Pada Sanchalanasana or cycling yoga pose

How to do it: Lie down flat on the back with legs straight, stretched and together, keeping the arms by the sides with palms facing down. Inhale and raise the right leg with the bend knee, bringing it closer to the chest. The thigh should be touching the chest. Bend the knee again in this forward position to complete a cycling movement when the knee comes back to the chest. Exhale when drawing the knee towards the chest. Practice these cycling movement 10 times in a forward direction and 10 times in a backward direction. Repeat the same with the left leg.

Adho mukha svanasana (Downward facing dog pose): This pose improves the blood circulation and gives relief from headache. It provides stretching in the body, strengthens your bones and clears your mind. 

How to do it:  Set up on all fours with your hands about 3 inches ahead of your shoulders and shoulder-width apart. Exhale and lift up your hips, so that the body is in an inverted ‘V’ position, with your fingers spread and feet on the floor. Engage your core and gaze down towards your navel. Hold this position for about a couple of minutes or for five to seven deep breaths. Now exhale and press your hips back and up. 

Prasarita padottanasana (Wide-legged forward bend pose): This pose gives refreshness in the brain with oxygenated blood. This asana is one of the best asanas which give relief from migraine and can be done by those with neck issues also. 

How to do it: This can be started by standing straight with your hands stretched straight to your side and your feet apart and should be directly under the same side of wrist. Now, bring your hands in front of you and bend down until head touches the floor. Place your palms on the floor. Hold this position for few minutes and return back to the original position.

Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend pose): This pose increases the blood circulation to refresh the nervous system and calms your mind.

How to do it: Stand straight with your feet together and your hands at your side. Inhale and lift up your hands above your head. Exhale and bend down from your hips and hands towards your feet. Try to touch the floor. Hold this position for half a minute and return to the original position.

Prevention tips for Migraine 

• Acupuncture: Research suggests that 10 sessions over 5–8 weeks may help with migraine symptoms.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS):  a small electronic device are used to deliver magnetic pulses through the skin and into the head.
• Use of  anti-seizure medication: like Topiramate and the antidepressant medication like amitriptyline help to prevent migraine.

Summary

While there is no cure for migraine, but various treatments and medication can help ease the symptoms, which should be taken on doctors consultation. Along with treatment and medications, regular yoga practice can also improve the severity and frequency of migraine headaches. 

According to research, yoga can help to lessen the frequency and pain level of migraine headaches.