Practicing yoga can reduce headaches. New Study Confirms – Media Patrollers

A new study from India shows how the practice of Yoga may help manage migraine better than just medication

Practicing yoga offers several benefits, including the ability to reduce headaches. This has been confirmed by a new Indian study which evaluated the effectiveness of this practice in combination with pharmacological treatments for migraine.

Yoga is a valuable ally for various health problems. New research has shown that, when combined with prescribed migraine medications, it is able to reduce both the frequency of the problem and the amount of medication needed to control it.

The study conducted by a team from l’Indian Institute of Medical Sciences coordinated by Rohit Bhatia As part of the study, a group of volunteers who suffered from frequent migraines and for this took medication regularly prescribed by doctors was selected.

Specifically, it involved 114 people between the ages of 17 and 50 who suffered from headaches 4 to 14 times a month. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: yoga and medication or medication only.

Those in the yoga group practiced one hour a day, three times a week, under the supervision of a teacher. The class included breathing and relaxation exercises as well as postures. After one month, the participants received instructions so that they could perform yoga sessions alone at home, five days a week, for the next two months.

In addition to medication, participants in both groups were told about lifestyle changes that can reduce the incidence of migraine, such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising.

All participants achieved improvements in the management of migraine frequency and intensity. However, participants in the yoga group saw significantly better results.

Indeed, at the start of the study, the participants in the yoga group had an average of 9.1 headaches per month, while at the end of the experiment, they had only 4.7 (the reduction in migraine frequency was 48%).

Those who took medication exclusively, on the other hand, experienced an average of 7.7 headaches per month at the start of the study, while at the end they only had 6.8 (a reduction 12%).

The conclusion of the research therefore suggests that adding yoga practice to your routine can help you manage migraine better than the simple use of drugs.

“Migraine is one of the most common forms of headache, but only half of people who take medication actually get relief. The good news is that practicing something as simple and accessible as yoga can help more than medication alone. And all you need is a mat,” Professor Bhatia said.

The study also notes that participants who practiced yoga needed less medication to manage their migraines. After three months, the yoga group had consumed 47% fewer pills, while the group that took only medication had reduced their consumption by 12%.

However, this is an observational study only, as the cause and effect relationship between yoga practice and the incidence of migraine has not been studied.

The authors note in their study, published in the journal Neurology that more research is needed to see if the effects of practicing yoga can last longer.

Reference source: Neurology / Science Daily