Beat Migraine Headaches by Doing Mindfulness Meditation: Study

Doing mindfulness meditation regularly helps get rid of migraine headaches, finds a study.

Meditation is an ancient form of deep breathing exercise that induces a form of relaxation for the body and mind. Its benefits for health make it an integral part of treatments for mental disorders and disabilities. A new research by the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that the practice can provide relief to people who suffer from migraine headaches.

The experts examined the effects of meditation and yoga intervention method also called as mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) in 19 participants of whom 10 suffered from frequent migraine attacks. The subjects either took part in the eight weekly meditation sessions each lasting for almost 30 minutes or a medical treatment for their headaches. The researchers also evaluated participants' mindfulness, improvements and headache conditions before and after the study and also asked them to keep a close tab on how often they had migraine headaches, its severity and duration, reports the Time.

"We found that the MBSR participants had trends of fewer migraines that were less severe. Secondary effects included headaches that were shorter in duration and less disabling, and participants had increases in mindfulness and self-efficacy a sense of personal control over their migraines. In addition, there were no adverse events and excellent adherence," said Rebecca Erwin Wells, study author and assistant professor of neurology at Wake Baptist Forest, reports the Red Orbit News.
Stress is one of the primary reasons for migraine headaches and mindfulness meditation is a therapeutic treatment that helps fight against certain biochemical responses leading to chronic headaches. Earlier clinical researches suggest mindfulness serves as a natural anti-depressant for those suffering from depression and anxiety. The results of the current trial also indicate regular meditation programs can alter the way people perceive pain and headache conditions.   

"For the approximate 36 million Americans who suffer from migraines, there is big need for non-pharmaceutical treatment strategies, and doctors and patients should know that MBSR is a safe intervention that could potentially decrease the impact of migraines," Wells said, reports the Red Orbit News.

More information is available online in the journal Headache.