Relaxation 
for prevent migraines

Research shows that behavioral therapies can be effective in preventing migraine attacks and/or reducing the intensity and duration of attacks when they occur. Biofeedback, relaxation therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy have good evidence for preventing a certain percentage of attacks, reducing the number of days with headache, and improving quality of life and other variables for people with migraine. Efficacy rates in migraine prevention are similar to those of traditional oral therapies for migraine prevention.

 

Studies of mindfulness-based migraine treatments, which are less common and have recently emerged, have shown improved quality of life, reduced disability, reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, and other positive outcomes. However, the degree of migraine attack prevention has varied from person to person and from study to study.

There are many healthy practices that people can learn whether or not they participate in behavioral therapies. Someone can learn and practice rhythmic breathing, guided visual imagination, or meditation on their own.

 

Relaxation techniques help calm the sympathetic nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system controls the “rest and digest” functions and the body's relaxation response, which includes slowing the heart rate, improving circulation throughout the body and relaxing muscles, among other functions. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system helps counteract the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the “hit or run” response that can be triggered by stress, pain and other experiences.

 

In a person with migraine, the nervous system is very sensitive to both non-external and internal changes. External changes, such as an approaching storm or a change in barometric pressure, as well as internal changes, such as hormonal fluctuations, lack of sleep or a stressful period, can affect the nervous system and lead to an increased likelihood of a migraine attack.

 

Regularly practicing relaxation and healthy lifestyle habits builds resilience in the nervous system so that it can better withstand internal and external changes. Practicing relaxation and healthy lifestyle habits can raise the threshold of an attack or add some defense. By practicing rhythmic breathing, mindful meditation, or other relaxation exercises for 20 minutes several times a week, as well as getting enough exercise and quality sleep, it is possible to raise your migraine attack threshold.

 

Devices for migraine countermeasures:

 

- Cefaly (www.cefaly.com) is a headband-like device that sends electrical impulses that stimulate nerve cells associated with migraine.

- Spring TMS or eNeura sTM (www.eneura.co.uk) - a device for people with pre-migraine aura that delivers a magnetic pulse that stimulates the part of the brain associated with migraines

- GammaCore (www.gammacore.com) non-invasive vagus nerve stimulator (NVN) - a hand-held device placed over the vagus nerve in the neck that stimulates nerve fibers to relieve pain

- Nerivio (www.nerivio.com) - a wireless nerve-altering device worn on the forearm for migraines.

 

Scientific publications on the effects of relaxation on migraine counteraction:

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- Psychological therapies for the prevention of migraine in adults https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6603250/

Louise Sharpe, Joanne Dudeney, Amanda C de C Williams, Michael Nicholas, Ingrid McPhee, Andrew Baillie, Miriam Welgampola, Brian McGuire, Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019; 2019(7): CD012295. Published online 2019 Jul 2. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012295.pub2 PMCID:PMC6603250

 

- Migraine and sleep disorders: a systematic review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7590682/ Cindy Tiseo, Alessandro Vacca, Anton Felbush, Tamara Filimonova, Annalisa Gai, Tatyana Glazyrina, Irina Anna Hubalek, Yelena Marchenko, Lucas Hendrik Overeem, Serena Piroso, Alexander Tkachev, Paolo Martelletti, Simona Sacco, on behalf of the European Headache Federation School of Advanced Studies (EHF-SAS) J Headache Pain. 2020; 21(1): 126. Published online 2020 Oct 27. doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-01192-5 PMCID:PMC7590682

 

- Regular Practice of Autogenic Training Reduces Migraine Frequency and Is Associated With Brain Activity Changes in Response to Fearful Visual Stimuli https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8814632/ Dóra Dobos, Edina Szabó, Dániel Baksa, Kinga Gecse, Natália Kocsel, Dorottya Pap, Terézia Zsombók, Lajos R. Kozák, Gyöngyi Kökönyei, Gabriella Juhász Front Behav Neurosci. 2021; 15: 780081. Published online 2022 Jan 21. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.780081 PMCID:PMC8814632

- The American Headache Society Consensus Statement: Update on integrating new migraine treatments into clinical practice. Ailani J, Burch RC, Robbins MS; Board of Directors of the American Headache Society.Headache. 2021 Jul;61(7):1021-1039. doi: 10.1111/head.14153. Epub 2021 Jun 23.PMID: 34160823

- Anxiety and depression symptoms and migraine: a symptom-based approach research. Peres MFP, Mercante JPP, Tobo PR, Kamei H, Bigal ME.J Headache Pain. 2017 Dec;18(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s10194-017-0742-1. Epub 2017 Mar 21.PMID: 28324317 Free PMC article.

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- Relaxation training for management of paediatric headache: A rapid review. Thompson AP, Thompson DS, Jou H, Vohra S.Paediatr Child Health. 2019 May;24(2):103-114. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxy157. Epub 2019 Feb 7.PMID: 30996601 Free PMC article. Review.

- Biofeedback and relaxation-response training in the treatment of pediatric migraine. Fentress DW, Masek BJ, Mehegan JE, Benson H.Dev Med Child Neurol. 1986 Apr;28(2):139-46. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1986.tb03847.x.PMID: 3519327 Clinical Trial.

 

- Relaxation training and written emotional disclosure for tension or migraine headaches: a randomized, controlled trial. D'Souza PJ, Lumley MA, Kraft CA, Dooley JA.Ann Behav Med. 2008 Aug;36(1):21-32. doi: 10.1007/s12160-008-9046-7. Epub 2008 Aug 12.PMID: 18696172 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.