Migraines can make your life difficult especially if they occur regularly but there is some good news on how to potentially ease the pain courtesy of a recent scientific study.
If you are among those who suffer from regular migraines, you might want to start a mindful meditation habit. Researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Health recently concluded a study which revealed that mindful meditation or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can potentially be beneficial to migraine patients. Dr. Rebecca Erwin Wells, a neurology professor at Wake Forest School of medicine described MBSR as a type of treatment that combines yoga and meditation that focuses on moment-by-moment awareness.
Dr. Wells also added that mindfulness is a great way to combat stress. The latter is a common trigger for migraines, which means that mindful meditation helps patients to take a preventive approach. Migraines can be quite severe and they affect millions of people across the world. Unfortunately, the existing medication for this debilitating condition cause severe side-effects and most of them are ineffective, thus the need for other alternatives that may provide better results for patients.
Research explored whether MBSR could provide migraine relief to patients in terms of reduced pain or reduced frequency. They study enrolled 89 adult subjects that have suffer from migraines. The patients were randomly assigned to a headache education group while the rest were assigned to the MBSR group.
The patients assigned to the MBSR group regularly practiced yoga and mindful meditation. They were also provided with electronic audio files to use at home while they continued with their daily meditation and yoga regimen for 30 minutes every day. The patients assigned to the education group only received educative content on pathology, headaches, stress, triggers and therapeutic approaches.
The study findings revealed that patients in the MBSR group experienced migraines less frequently than before they joined the study. They also reported improved life quality and reduced disability compared to those in the education group. The researchers also observed that the MBSR group experienced lower unpleasantness and pain intensity when they suffered migraines than the education group. They were also less depressed than they used to be. The researchers concluded that MBSR provided significant benefits against migraines.
