Headaches and Migraines
Headaches are one of the common symptoms in the body. The brain is insensitive to pain, but many structures inside and outside of our skulls have sensitive pain fibres. Arteries, venous sinuses, the dura mater/ membrane surrounding the brain, and external scalp muscles & neck suffer.
There are vascular headaches ( dilate blood vessels), migraine and hypertension headaches( thought to be due to dilation of extracranial arteries), muscle spasm ( most common), referred headache( inflammation in sinus/ eyestrain), and psychogenic headaches( emotional/ mental tensions).
Yoga and Thai Yoga Therapy have many helpers for headaches and Migraines.
Yogic Management:
A consistent Sadhana can help maintain the body/ mind. The Hatha Yoga Shatkarmas can help tension headache and migraine. They can be practiced daily each morning.
Suryanamaskara works on all the systems of the body, opens joints, and even has an inversion effect. This in itself is a righteous action when performed daily.
"Namaskar Priya surya" Namaskara is the beloved of the sun that brings us health. Working with long movements in surya Namaskara and rechaka (exhalation) & puraka( inhalation) creates a meditation.
Pranayama- breath science. Working with Bhramari, nadhi shodhana, and a mild Bhastrika.
Neti Kriya. Working with a daily neti Kriya is helpful to relieve pressure. Be sure to practice at a 45 degree angle, afterwards hang upside down and then come up to drain further. Perhaps practice suryanamaskara! Kapalabhati practiced afterwards can help.
Use Yoga nidra, corpse pose, practiced daily between 2-6pm (great resting time)or use when needed.
Avoid rich foods, alcohol, and caffeine. At an onset, taking in caffeine and orange juice can be helpful with lots of water.
Fasting and resting in shavasana can also help.
Herbology. Setting up an herbal or yoga consult can be helpful with situations like this so all of this can be discussed and tailored to your constitution ( with antispasmodics, anxiolytics, analgesics, hepatica, thymoleptics, and or hormonal modulants). There are many allies from the plant kingdom that can help you on a daily basis, but it's important to pay attention to your Dosha type.
