Migraine
Meditation may inhibit the part of the nervous system responsible for stress. Frequent migraine attacks can be triggered by or aggravated by stress, tension, and anxiety, and mind-body techniques like meditation may relieve headaches by alleviating underlying stress.
Functional brain MRI studies have shown that related neurotransmitters dopamine, melatonin, serotonin, cortisol and norepinephrine, all of which relate to the neurologic functions affected by gray matter depletion in people with migraine, respond to meditation in ways that may counteract the adverse effects of migraine. Dopamine, which is responsible for executive functions of the brain, and melatonin, the body’s sleep-wake hormone, are found to increase with meditation, serotonin activity is regulated, and cortisol and norepinephrine (the brain’s “fight or flight” chemicals) have been proven to decrease with the practice of meditation.
A 2014 study in the journal Headache found that people who practiced meditation had dramtically fewer migraines per month. For those who suffer from chronic migraine, the reduction is significant. The researchers who conducted the study assigned participants to an meditation stress reduction program, which includes meditation each day.
Dr. Kabat-Zinn, director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, found that patients who performed meditation regularly, reported taking less pain medication, a reduction in feelings of stress and anxiety, and feeling better overall.
Another study on the effectiveness of Meditation-Based Stress Reduction on Perceived Pain Intensity and Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Headache’ found similar results. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness on perceived pain intensity and quality of life in patients with chronic headache. At the end of the eight-week period, medical symptoms were down 28-percent, anxiety was down 44-percent, and depression decreased by 34-percent.
Information from scientific study suggests meditation may be THE most effective method of alleviating migraine
“Daily meditation may be the most effective way of tackling migraine,” the Daily Express reports.