How mindfulness meditation can help tame migraines and tension headaches

Recent research indicates that imbalances in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that are typical of stress-related migraines and tension headaches can be alleviated by practising mindfulness meditation.

Photo by Vinicius Amano on Unsplash

Both tension headaches and migraines are unfortunately common.

Tension headaches are what one would consider a “normal everyday headache”. The problem is that for 3% of the population, they become chronic, which lead to a lot of suffering.

Migraines are considered to be the third most common disease in the world, affecting 1 in 7 people. 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men have migraines, which usually last from two to 72 hours.

Both conditions can be quite debilitating. For people who suffer from either one of them, figures like those may be interesting — but the only comfort they seek is to finally be free from pain.

Headaches and stress

There are clear associations between headache conditions and stress-related dysregulation in the activity of the parasympathetic-sympathetic branches, which lead to imbalances in the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

In other words, many people who suffer from migraines or tension headaches might be incapable of quickly and effectively recovering from a stressful event, which causes or aggravates those painful conditions.

Recent research shows that mindfulness meditation can be a powerful tool to promote and increase an effective recovery after a stressful event, thus preventing or alleviating migraines and tension headaches that would be or were caused by such events.

What does this mean to you?

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

Step-by-step: How to use mindfulness meditation for headache pain management

But how do you know if this works for you? You have to experiment yourself — there’s no other way:

1. Pain Diary. Have some sort of headache pain diary, in which you can track, among other things: a) pain level or intensity; b) frequency; c) duration; and d) any other associated symptoms (such as photophobia, nausea, vertigo, tingling behind the eye, tinnitus, etc). This will establish the base level for your pain. It is important to log for at least a couple of weeks before moving onto step #2, so you can measure the “before”. You can use a notebook or one of the many apps that are available for this.
2. Mindfulness meditation: Learn and practice some basic mindfulness meditation technique. It is important not to be discouraged by misconceptions, as there are many myths about meditation.
3. Track and log. Start logging in your diary when you meditate, for how long and perhaps jot some quick notes regarding how you felt before and after the practice.
4. Analyse. After you have enough data, compare the results to see if your migraines and tension headaches were reduced in any way (considering all those dimensions: pain level or intensity, frequency, duration and any other associated symptoms) by the regular practice of mindfulness meditation.
5. Rinse and repeat until you are satisfied with your conclusions.

Good luck!

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

Reference:

• “Individuals with tension and migraine headaches exhibit increased heart rate variability during post-stress mindfulness meditation practice but a decrease during a post-stress control condition — A randomized, controlled experiment.” on PubMed.

Keep the conversation going…

Do you agree, disagree or want to share your impressions or experiences? I very much welcome your feedback! Please leave a comment below.

• Have you tried mindfulness meditation for chronic pain management?
• Have you tried other meditation techniques?
• What other things do you do for chronic pain management? Acupuncture? Yoga?