Migraine Headache
Migraine is an ancient and
formidable malady. It bothered such distinguished persons as Caesar and Freud.
It has assumed alarming proportions under modern conditions of living and is
now believed to afflict about 10 per cent of the world’s population. Migraine
can be defined as a paroxysmal affection, accompanied by severe headache,
generally on one side of the head and associated
with disorders of the digestion, the liver and the vision. It usually occurs
when a person is under great mental tension or has suddenly got over that
state. Migraine is also known as "sick headache" because nausea and
vomiting occasionally accompany the excruciating pain which lasts for as long
as three days. Migraine usually gives warning before it strikes: black spots or
a brilliant zig-zag line appears before the eyes or the patient has blurring of
vision or has part of his vision blanked out. When the headache occurs, the
patient may feel tingling, numbness, or weakness in an arm or leg. Migraine
sufferers have what is known as a "migrainous personality ". They are
compulsive workers and perfectionists, who feel that they have to do everything
right away. When they complete a task, they are suddenly laid down from a state
of temporary tension to a feeling of utmost relief.
Then comes the migraine. It is a
purely physiological process. The head and neck muscles, reacting to continuous
stress, become overworked. The tightened muscles squeeze the arteries and
reduce blood flow. When a person relaxes suddenly, the constricted muscles expand,
stretching the walls of the blood-vessel. With every heart beat, the blood
being pushed through these vessels expands them further and causes incredible
pain. When a headache strikes, one should stay on one’s feet in the daytime and
do simple chores which do not require too much concentration or walk, move
around and get some fresh air.
Hydrotherapy
There are certain water applications which help relieve headaches. Copious drinking of water can help, as do the cleansing enema with water temperature at 98.6°F, the hot foot bath, a cold throat pack, frequent applications of towels wrung out from very hot water to the back of the neck, a cold compress at 40° to 60°F applied to the head and face or an alternate spinal compress. Hot fomentations over the abdominal region just before retiring relieve headaches due to stomach and liver upsets.
Yogic kriyas like jalneti and kunjal, pranayamas like anuloma-viloma, shitali and sitkari and asanas such as uttanapadasana, sarvangasana, paschimottanasana, halasana and shavasana are useful in the treatment of headaches.
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