Migraine is a neurological disorder that can cause severe headaches on both sides or just one side of your head. Other symptoms include light and sound sensitivity, nausea, eye pain, temporary loss of vision, vomiting, and seeing spots of flashing lights. It is triggered by factors such as stress, loud noise, hormonal changes, and certain foods. It is usually treated with prescription or over-the-counter medications, but they can have side effects.
According to a new study, incorporating yoga into your regular migraine treatment may be more effective than medication alone. According to the new research, yoga may help migraine sufferers have headaches that occur less frequently, last less time, and are less painful.
According to a study published in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, adding yoga to your regularly prescribed migraine treatment may be better than medication alone. According to the new research, yoga may help people with migraines have headaches that occur less frequently, last less time, and are less painful.
“Migraine is one of the most common headache disorders, but only about half of those who take medication for it get real relief,” said study author Rohit Bhatia, M.D., D.M., D.N.B., of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “The good news is that practicing something as simple and accessible as yoga may be far more beneficial than medications alone. All you need is a mat to get started.”
Our findings show that yoga can reduce not only migraine pain, but also the cost of treatment. That can be a game changer, especially for people who can’t afford their medication. Medications are usually prescribed first, and some of them can be costly.
Rohit Bhatia
The study included 114 people with episodic migraine who were between the ages of 18 and 50. Participants experienced four to fourteen headaches per month and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: medication-only or medication plus yoga.
Yoga is a mind-body therapy that originated in ancient India. It is now practiced by people all over the world. Pose, meditation, and breathing exercises are all part of it. It has been shown in studies to reduce Trusted Source stress, anxiety, and depression. Stress is a significant and common migraine trigger. Yoga can help prevent migraines or improve symptoms by loosening tight areas like the neck, head, and shoulders that hold stress.
According to research, yoga can be used as a complementary practice to help treat migraines and the disability that comes with them. Migraine sufferers, on the other hand, should avoid yoga classes that are vigorous or involve heat, such as Bikram yoga, as well as poses that stress the neck.
The yoga group was taught a one-hour yoga practice that included breathing and relaxation exercises as well as postures. For one month, participants were supervised by a yoga instructor three days a week. They then practiced at home on their own for five days a week for the next two months. Both groups were given the appropriate medications as well as counseling on lifestyle changes that may help with migraines, such as getting enough sleep, eating regularly, and exercising.
Participants kept a record of how long their headaches lasted, how severe they were, and what medications they used.
The study found that people improved in both the medication-only and yoga groups, but the benefit was greater in the yoga group in all areas, including headache frequency, pain intensity, medication use, and how much migraine interfered with daily life.
In terms of headache frequency, the yoga group began the study with an average of 9.1 headaches per month and ended with only 4.7 headaches per month, a 48 percent reduction. The medication-only group reported an average of 7.7 headaches per month at the start of the study and 6.8 at the end of three months, a 13% decrease.
After three months, the average number of pills used by participants in the yoga group had decreased by 47 percent. Meanwhile, the average number of pills taken by the medication-only group fell by about 12%.
“Our findings show that yoga can reduce not only migraine pain, but also the cost of treatment,” said Bhatia. “That can be a game changer, especially for people who can’t afford their medication. Medications are usually prescribed first, and some of them can be costly.”
One study limitation was that participants reported information about their headaches, so the results may not be consistent. Bhatia pointed out that the study only lasted three months and that more research is needed to determine whether the benefits of yoga would last longer.
