Both headaches and migraines can be relieved through yoga. Practicing yoga can offer you:
- Immediate relief from headache
- A permanent solution to headache
- Preventative treatment – especially helpful for migraine sufferers
By simply understanding what type of headaches yours are, you can start to enjoy these remedial benefits of yoga. This article will clarify what causes your headaches, whether it’s stress, hormones, muscle contraction or blood circulation. It will also explain exactly how yoga can help, describing moves to prevent headache triggers and advising on poses that relieve headache or migraine pain.
Where does my headache come from?
There are two main types of headaches tension headaches (also known as ordinary headache) and migraines
Tension headaches
Tension headaches account for 90% of headaches. They are caused by the contraction of head and neck muscles, which can come from stress, depression, fatigue, poor posture or hormonal variation. Tension headaches can and should be treated quickly to prevent them becoming chronic – below I will reveal techniques that ease tension headaches and can even eliminate them completely.
Migraines
Migraines occur when excited brain cells trigger the trigeminal nerve to release certain chemicals, which in turn cause blood vessel expansion. The irritation and swelling of blood vessels causes severe pain. Migraines can be prompted by various triggers such as stress, certain foods, hormonal fluctuations and imbalances in brain chemicals such as serotonin. There is currently no found cure for migraines, but there are plenty of preventative techniques you can use to avert attacks.
Yoga can go a long way towards managing headaches. It works because of its unique combination of effects on the body. Yoga releases muscle tension, increases blood circulation, stimulates the nervous system and combats stress – yoga works against all the main causes of headaches.
Incorporate yoga into your routine to start enjoying a life free from headache.
Some things you may not know about headaches:
Headache sufferers often have shallow breathing and may even be unconsciously hyperventilating
This means the brain is not getting all the oxygen it needs, causing a headache. The deep abdominal breathing and breathing exercises (Pranayama) taught in yoga ensures the brain gets an excellent supply of oxygen. Breath work is very beneficial during a headache attack if practiced in a relaxed way.
Top tip!
Try inverted or upturned postures such as the Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana), the Plow Pose (Halasna), the Headstand (Sirsasana) or the Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani). They increase blood and oxygen flow to the head and brain. This is an effective preventative treatment, but should not be performed during a headache attack.
One of the most common causes of headache is muscular tension
By the same notion as hyperventilation, muscular tension whether in the shoulders, neck or head causes constriction of blood vessels, which also decreases oxygen supply to the head. Yoga releases bounds of tension in your body, particularly around the shoulders and neck. By working the muscles during a posture and then relaxing them after, yoga releases deeply rooted muscular tension, allowing oxygen to flow freely to the brain as well as really relaxing you.
Tensions that cause headaches are rooted in poor posture, bad alignment and the carrying out of unbalanced activities – using one side of the body more than the other
This is where yoga’s ancient and unique teachings of balance are revealed to have important practical benefits. As you practice yoga, the exercises balance your muscles so they are equal in strength and flexibility, releasing the acute tensions that cause so many headaches.
If you are one of the many headache or migraine sufferers affected by stress or depression, you are likely to be experiencing chronic muscular hypertension
This tension often manifests in the head, neck, back or eyes, and brings on headaches. Managing stress and depression with a yoga routine can greatly reduce the intensity and frequency of migraines and headaches. Yoga’s meditative aspects actually change your brain – strengthening areas linked to happiness and relaxation, and weakening those involved in stress. Yoga also offers a blend of the three main stress-management techniques – breath work, exercise and meditation.
Migraines are triggered by swollen blood vessels across the surface of the brain
When you experience conditions such as stress, irregular sleep, muscular tension or blood pressure, the trigeminal nerve responds by causing blood vessels to expand, which causes pain. Yoga lowers blood pressure and regulates the nervous system by easing the muscular tensions that pressurise spinal nerves and interrupt energy flow. With calmer nerves, you will reduce the intensity and frequency of migraines. Plus, yoga combats other migraine triggers such as stress or sleep problems.
Top tip two!
Ocean Breath (Ujjayi) and Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Sodhana) are two good breaths for calming the nerves.
Scientists believe that migraine attacks are rooted in hormonal fluctuations and imbalances in brain chemicals such as serotonin
You can use yoga to prevent migraine attacks by practicing the inverted postures mentioned earlier, such as the Plow Pose (Halasna) or the Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani). These stimulate the endocrine system and regulate hormones by subtly compressing and decompressing specific hormone-secreting glands.
Top tip three!
Try some forward bends such as the Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) and Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) – they balance hormones by gently stimulating glands and massaging the area where adrenals sit, above the kidneys on the back.
Sensory overload as a trigger for migraine attacks
Migraines can be triggered by sensory information such as light, sound, even smells, with attacks often accompanied by high sensitivity to these things. Yoga as a relaxation practice offers mental relief from sensory overload, going a long way towards averting attacks and reducing their intensity.
A toxic system as a trigger for migraine attacks
Headaches arise from mild dehydration, low blood sugar and build-up of toxins in the blood and stress hormones in the muscles. Just a few yoga stretches will actually squeeze toxins and old blood out of your cells, effectively detoxifying the system.
Take the necessary steps to prevent and manage headaches with yoga, an effective and natural approach. A daily or even weekly yoga program can change your life by allowing you to prevent and manage debilitating headaches and migraines.
Here are some key poses for immediate headache relief:
- Easy yoga Pose (Sukhasana) – sitting cross-legged on the floor straightens the spine, improves alignment and calms the nerves
- Corpse Pose (Savasana) – this involves lying on the floor and reaching total relaxation. And as your body relaxes, so will your head and mind
- Shoulder stretches – to relieve tension around the shoulders and upper back, preventing headaches
- Neck exercises – many people hold tension in their necks and shoulders. These exercises reduce the stiffness and bad posture that causes tension headaches
- Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) – the spinal twist lengthens the spine, releasing toxins and massaging the adrenals to regulate hormones