24 September sees the start of Migraine Awareness Week. Run by the British charity The Migraine Trust, Migraine Awareness Week aims to raise awareness of what is said to be the most common type of headache and the world’s third most common disease.
Although there are many prophylactic migraine drugs available, good old-fashioned exercise has been shown to be an effective preventative treatment for migraine, according to research. By regularly exercising, migraine sufferers have seen a marked reduction in the number and intensity of their migraines, as it’s during physical activity that the body releases its own natural painkillers, called endorphins. Exercise that involves meditation, relaxation and slow movements is particularly beneficial for migraineurs.
One such exercise that ticks all the boxes is tai chi.
In a randomised controlled trial, 82 Chinese women between 18 and 65 years of age experienced a significant decrease in the frequency of their episodic migraine attacks. The women also lost 0.6 kg of body weight and saw an improvement in their systolic blood pressure during the 12-week trial.
Similar results have been shown with yoga. In another controlled trial, in India, migraine patients from a study pool of 60 were randomly chosen to take part in 30 hour-long yoga sessions over a period of six weeks, in addition to the conventional care that both groups were receiving. At the end of the study period, the migraines experienced by the yoga group were found to be much less frequent and intense compared with those of the control group.
For more information on migraine, check out The Migraine Trust’s website.
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