THE YOGIC TREATMENT FOR HEADACHE!

 

                                       WHAT IS THE TREATMENT

                                                OF HEADACHE?

                                  HEADACHE

                            HEADACHE IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS A DOCTOR IS ASKED TO TREAT. THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF HEADACHE, AND THE ORIGIN OF PAIN IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FOR EACH ONE. THE BRAIN ITSELF IS INSENSITIVE OF THE SKULL HAVE SENSITIVE PAIN FIBRES. THESE INCLUDE THE ARTERIES AND VENOUS SINUSES OF THE BRAIN, THE DURA MATER OR MEMBRANE SURROUNDING THE BRAIN AND THE EXTERNAL SCALP MUSCLES.

                     CLINICAL FEATURES

                      THERE ARE SOME CAUSES OF HEADACHE WHICH SHOULD BE TREATED BY A MEDICAL EXPERT, SUCH AS TUMOURS, MENINGITIS OR ACUTE FEVERS. THE TYPES OF HEADACHE DESCRIBED BELOW ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CAUSES. THEREFORE, IN ALL CASES OF CHRONIC HEADACHE A MEDICAL CHECKUP  IS ESSENTIAL.

• VASCULAR HEADACHE ARE THE TYPICALLY THROBBING TYPE AND ARE DUE TO DILATION OF BLOOD VESSELS. THE HEADACHE WHICH ACCOMPANIES FEVER AND SYSTEMIC INFECTION IS TYPICAL. IT IS DUE TO DILATION OF THE INTRACRANIAL BLOOD VESSELS, AS ARE THROBBING HEADACHES WHICH OCCURS AT HIGH ALTITUDE OR WHICH FOLLOW A BLOW TO THE HEAD, AN EPILEPTIC FIT OR EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL.
•  MIGRAINE AND HYPERTENSION HEADACHES, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE THOUGHT TO BE DUE TO DILATION OF THE EXTRACRANIAL ARTERIES, OUTSIDE THE SKULL.
• MUSCLES SPASM IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF HEADACHE. THE MUSCLES OF THE SCALP OR THE NECK GO INTO A SPERM DUE TO EMOTIONAL TENSION. THIS PRODUCES PERSISTANT AND CONTINUOUS TYPE OF HEADACHE WHICH VARIES IN INTENSITY FROM A FEELING OF TIGHTNESS TO A TRUE PAIN. IT IS USUALLY BILATERAL.  PAINFUL, TENDER AREAS CAN OFTEN BE FELT IN THE TIGHT SCALP MUSCLES, OR IN THE NECK MUSCLES. CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS AND POOR SPINAL POSTURE IN GENERAL ARE FREQUENT CAUSES.
• REFERRED HEADACHE FROM THE EYES IS ALSO COMMON. IT OFTEN ACCOMPANIES EYESTRAIN AND GLAUCOMA. SIMILARLY, INFLAMMATION OR IRRITATION OF THE SINUSES AND NASAL PASSAGES OFTEN MANIFEST AS A HEADACHE.
• PSYCHOGENIC HEADACHE IS THE TERM USED TO DESCRIBE HEAD CAUSED BY EMOTIONAL OR MENTAL TENSIONS. IT IS OFTEN A VASCULAR OR TENSION HEADACHE, BEING EXPERIENCED AS A SENSE OF PRESSURE AT THE TOP OF THE HEAD, OR AS A TIGHT BAND AROUND THE SCALP. MIGRAINE BELONGS IN THIS GROUP.

THE MOST COMMON HEADACHES

THE TWO MOST COMMON FORMS OF HEADACHE ARE MIGRAINE AND TENSION HEADACHES.

MIGRAINE: THIS SEVERE FORM OF HEADACHE OCCURS MORE COMMONLY IN WOMEN THAN MEN. IT IS CHARACTERIZED BY PERIODIC HEADACHE WHICH ARE USUALLY ONE-SIDED AND ARE OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY VISUAL DISTURBANCES AND VOMITING. MIGRAINE IS THOUGHT TO BE CAUSED BY SWELLING OF THE ARTERIES OUTSIDE THE SKULL DUE TO INSTABILITY OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WHICH CONTROLS DUE TO INSTABILITY OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WHICH CONTROLS THE FLOW OF BLOOD INTO THE HEAD. PAIN IS CAUSED BY THE STRETCHING OF PAIN NERVE ENDINGS IN THE ARTERIAL WALL.

MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HEADACHES

MANY HEADACHES DISAPPEAR WHEN AN UNDERLYING CAUSE SUCH AS FEVER, EYE DISORDERS, OR SINUSTIS HAS BEEN REMOVED. OTHERS MAY RESPOND WELL TO OSTEOPATHIC TREATMENT OR REMOVAL OF ALLERGENIC FOODS. OTHERWISE THE TREATMENT IS SYMPTOMIC, AS CONVENTINAL MEDICAL SCIENCE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE A CURE FOR PSYCHOGENIC HEADACHES SUCH AS MIGRAINE OR TENSION HEADACHE.

SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT USING VARIOUS DRUGS WHICH PROVIDE TEMPORARY RELIEF IS ALL THAT IS CURRENTLY PRESCRIBED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. MUSCLE TENSION HEADACHES SOMETIMES RESPOND TO ASPIRIN OR TRANQUILIZERS, PSYCHOTHERAPY, MASSAGE AND HEAT. FOR MIGRAINE TYPE VASCULAR HEADACHE THE COMMONLY PRESCRIBED DRUGS ARE DERIVED FROM ERGOT ALKALOIDS. THESE MUST BE TAKEN AT THE FIRST SIGN OF THE ATTACK IF THEY ARE TO BE OF BENEFIT. RECTAL ASPIRIN SUPPOSITORIES ALSO HELP. IN GENERAL, HOWEVER, THE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC, PERSISTENT HEADACHE SYMPTOMS AT THE PRESENT TIME IS FAIRLY INEFFECTIVE, AND THE CONDITIONS PRESENT A REAL PROBLEM FOR BOTH THE PATIENT AND THE DOCTOR.

YOGIC MANAGMENT

YOGIC PRACTICES FILL THE GAP MANAGING THESE TYPES OF HEADACHE WHICH MEDICAL SCIENCE FINDS DIFFICULT TO TREAT. PSYCHOGENIC HEADACHE, VASCULAR HEADACHES, INCLUDING MIGRAINE, AND MUSCLE TENSION HEADACHE CAN OFTEN BE ERADICATED COMPLETELY THROUGH YOGIC PRACTICES ALONE.

FUNDAMENTAL PRACTICES FOR MIGRAINE AND TENSION HEADCHES ARE THE HATHA YOGA SHATKARMAS, KUNJAL AND NETI. IF THEY ARE PERFORMED AT THE BEGINNING OF AN ATTACK OF MIGRAINE, THE SUFFERER GAIN IMMEDIATE RELIEF. THESE PRACTICES RELESE THE BUIL-UP OF PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL TENSION WHICH IS PRECIPITATING THE ATTACK. IN ERADICATING HEADACHES THESE SHATKARMAS SHOULD BE PRACTICED DAILY EACH MORNING, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS.

1. ASANA : PAWANMUKTASANA PART 1, SURYANAMAKARA.
2.  PRANAYAMA : BHRAMARI, NADI SHODHANA, GENTLE BHASTRIKA.
3.  SHATKARMA : KUNJAL AND NETI DAILY. LAGHOO SHANKHAPRAKSHALANA ONCE A WEEK. SHANKHAPRAKSHALANA (FULL PRACTICE) SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN IN AN ASHRAM ENVIRONMENT PREFERABLY BEFORE COMMENCING THE PROGRAM.
4. RELAXATION : YOGA NIDRA DAILY.
5.  DIET : A SIMPLE VEGETARIAN DIET IS RECOMMENDED. AVOID RICH FOODS, ESPECIALLY CHEESE, CHOCOLATE AND WINE. AVOID OVEREATING.
6.  FASTING : SKIPPING A MEAL AND RELAXING FOR TEN MINUTES IN SHAVASANA WILL OFTEN AVERT AN IMPENDING HEADACHE IF IT IS DUE TO MENTAL STRESS.