Yoga is considered one of the many non-medical ways people can fight migraine.
Stress can be a common trigger for people with migraine. Reducing stress can improve migraine, meaning, certain activities aimed at reducing your stress levels may help improve your migraine symptoms. Adding yoga to your migraine treatment strategy may help.
Yoga’s postures, deep breathing and meditation aspects have been shown to reduce stress. Studies have analyzed the impact of yoga on adults with migraine and suggest that it could be very helpful in both treating migraine and fighting the disability associated with migraine. However, more research on yoga and migraine is needed.
Things to Know Before Practicing YogaThere are some important things to keep in mind before incorporating yoga into your routine. Since there are many different types of yoga, it is important to find one that suits you and your migraine.
There are types of yoga that work and don’t work for people with migraine.
Beginners should first attend classes and avoid using videos that demonstrate yoga.
Tell your yoga teacher about your history of migraine, and they can offer suggestions or alternative postures for anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Avoid classes that involve a lot of heat, are very vigorous or require extreme postures, as this type of yoga can trigger migraine. Gentle yoga that focuses on breathing and meditation, while also avoiding postures that add a lot of strain to your neck, is ideal. Restorative yoga combines deep-breathing techniques while holding certain poses that are fully supported by props (blankets, mats, blocks, ropes) in a completely relaxed manner.
Talk with Your Doctor
Before beginning a yoga program you should talk to your health care provider or doctor. If you have been diagnosed with or have a history of high or low blood pressure, glaucoma, risk of blood clots, blood vessel problems, pinched nerves or have some form of problem with your spine, make sure your doctor clears you before beginning a class.
Yoga can help with your migraine, but it will likely be just one aspect of your treatment plan. Talk with your doctor about how you can best incorporate yoga into your routine and keep at it for a few months. Changes in your migraine won’t happen overnight, so be patient with the results.
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