Migraine is a debilitating kind of headache that affects several individuals worldwide. The primary symptom is a sharp headache in one part of the head, which can turn severe and affect the whole head. Medications are generally prescribed to manage the pain. But these are not devoid of side effects. If you are looking for some natural ways to manage (not treat) the pain associated with migraine, the answer might lie in mindfulness. Yes, this mind and body technique that requires just focusing on the present moment without any judgments can help you with migraine pain to some extent.
How Does Mindfulness Help With Migraine Pain?
According to Harvard Health, mindfulness has been shown to help people with chronic pain, which includes migraine. It happens as other than the physical triggers, this condition has some emotional triggers as well. One such trigger is stress. When you practice mindfulness, it helps in stress management, thus helping with migraine pain. Other emotional triggers for the pain include anxiety and depression. Mindfulness is also recommended to deal with these conditions. It helps in managing these conditions and induces a sense of calmness.
What Studies Say About Migraine Pain & Mindfulness
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Researchers have studied the benefits of mindfulness in patients suffering from migraine. One such study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in December 2020. As a part of the study, participants were divided into two. One group was sent for mindfulness-based stress reduction treatment, the other for headache education.
In the mindfulness-based stress reduction treatment, migraine patients were assigned for walking and sitting meditation, bodily awareness, and bringing attention to the breath. Also, they were told to address the physical and mental perceptions of the pain associated with migraine.
The researchers found out that the mindfulness-based stress reduction treatment worked well for patients. Their quality of life improved. An improvement was also seen in depression and pain catastrophizing, which is the magnified perception towards felt or anticipated pain. It might be because, with mindfulness, they might have processed the pain better and dealt with it accordingly. It is a crucial piece of input for migraine patients and their doctors alike on ways to manage pain.
Also read: Can Mindfulness Aid Hypertension or High Blood Pressure? This Study Answers
How To Practise Mindfulness
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So, as you saw that mindfulness not only helps with chronic pain, it also contributes to the improvement in the quality of life. The good news is you can practice mindfulness technique anywhere and at the time of your choice
- Mindfulness primarily requires you to block all the distractions and focus just on the present moment without any judgment.
- You can just sit comfortably, close your eyes (or not), and bring awareness to your breath. Whenever you feel your mind is wandering, bring it back to the present moment.
- Body scan is another mindfulness technique. In this, you bring your awareness to what goes inside your body.
Suffering from chronic pain or not, mindfulness can be extremely beneficial for the mind and the body. Hence, consider practicing this technique in daily life. You can start with 5 minutes of meditation a day and build upon that.
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