Meditation for headaches

Headaches can be devastating. There are many different types of headaches, from a mild headache that is especially annoying to one that also makes you nauseous and vomit. Migraines and cluster headaches are usually some of the worst headaches out there. In addition, you also have tension headaches. This is the form that most people suffer from. Whatever form you have, even if you actually have just a little headache, it is very annoying and you would like to get rid of it.

So in this blog article, I explore the causes of headaches and what meditation can do to remedy, relieve or better manage them.

What is headache?

If you suffer from headaches, the name says it all, you suffer from pain in your head. There are several types of headaches, such as tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches(1).

Tension headache

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. You experience that feeling of pressure on your head. Sometimes it's like someone is pulling a band tight around your head.

The pain of tension headaches can also be only in the front or one side of your head. This can be very annoying, especially if it is near your ear.

Tension headaches can last half an hour or several days(2).

Migraine

A migraine is already much more serious. When you suffer from a migraine, your whole head hurts. Sometimes this is a throbbing pain.

In the process, a migraine also affects your senses. For example, you may be sensitive to light, sound and/or smells.

In addition, you may experience nausea, dizziness, decreased vision, pallor and/or decreased appetite.

In some cases, you may also feel hot or cold and experience fever.

A migraine can last up to 72 hours if you do nothing about it and usually occurs several times a month(3).

Cluster headache

Cluster headaches are a type of burning or stabbing pain on one side of your head. Often behind or in the eye area.

These headaches usually last 30 to 90 minutes, but they can also last 3 hours and then go away. Then it returns later in the day. It usually lasts a week or two to three months, but there are people who have no cluster headaches for 14 days a year at most. So the severity can vary quite a bit.

This type of headache recurs regularly, usually at the same times during the day and night(4).

What could be the cause of headaches?

The cause of tension headaches is not known. Scientists believe that tension headaches are caused by tense muscles in the face, neck and shoulders. That tension may be caused by intense emotions and stress.

A strange paradox, though, is that it has not been proven that muscle movements in that region can lead to headaches.

A trigger of tension headaches is usually stress (5).

A migraine often has genetic and environmental factors. If having migraines runs in your family, chances are you may suffer from them as well.

In the process, it also appears that the hormone serotonin suddenly becomes incredibly low during a migraine attack. This allows your brain to release neuropeptide that cause the migraine pain.

A migraine can be triggered by several things, namely:

Hormonal changes
Nutrients
Alcoholic beverage
Coffee
Stress
Abundance of sensory stimuli (bright light, loud noise)
Sleep-wake rhythm changes
Physical Activities
Weather Changes
Some medications

Unfortunately, the cause of cluster headaches is not yet known. However, medics do think it has something to do with a nerve near the face.

You are more likely to have cluster headaches if it runs in your family. Drinking alcohol can cause a cluster headache.

Men and smokers suffer more from cluster headaches than women and nonsmokers. Unfortunately, quitting smoking doesn't help reduce it; you should just never start smoking.

What to do about headaches

For tension headaches, it is generally recommended to avoid triggers and reduce stress.

In addition, meditation is also recommended to reduce tension headaches as it can reduce stress.

To find out what triggers your tension headaches you can keep a journal that includes whether you suffer from tension headaches, over time you can see a pattern to figure out trigger.

This could include problems at work, or a problem in your personal circle that is causing stress.

A migraine is primarily treated with medication. However, research does show that meditation can help reduce medication use and reduce the frequency of headaches.

Tension headaches and migraines can also be reduced through adequate sleep. If you suffer from a migraine, it is a good idea to get into bed anyway.

In addition, you can also use the following tips to suffer less from headaches:

Put a cold compress where your head hurts or on your forehead. This can provide a relieving feeling.
The scent of lavender can help you relax. This in turn has a calming effect for that pain in your head.
The scent of mint helps your veins to relax. This scent is especially helpful if you suffer from tension headaches. Mint tea is therefore a good idea if you suffer from headaches.
The scent of basil is very strong and has a relaxing effect similar to that of mint. Moreover, you can also add it to a delicious soup that will help you relax better.
Massage your head. Okay, maybe you're already struggling because you have a headache. Leave them there and massage your head. You can also massage your face. Researchers from Brazil found out that a massage to the back of your head, where your neck transitions to your skull, can reduce the pain of a migraine.
Keep an eating diary. Food can trigger a headache. By keeping track in a journal of what you eat and when you get a headache, over time you can discover a pattern of which foods seem to trigger headaches. You can then control this by not eating those foods for a few weeks.
Eat ergot. British research shows that if you eat motherwort daily it helps prevent migraines. Just be careful if you take medication if this plant can affect its action.
Eat omega-3. Omega 3 is very important for lowering inflammation levels in the body and it supports brain function. As a result, it can also reduce headaches. There is a lot of omega-3 in flaxseed, and fish is also a good source for it.

Inflammation can also often be a cause of headaches, in addition to stress and other causes.

Cluster headaches are usually treated with medication, but there have been cases that do not respond to this medication. Some nerves can also be stimulated to make cluster headaches less intense, but this requires surgery(6).

Meditation for headaches

As mentioned, meditation is recommended for people who suffer from tension headaches. For example, a meditation exercise that helps relax all the muscles in your body can be used against tension headaches.

This is evidenced in part by research(7) conducted with 60 people who suffered from tension headaches. Those were divided into 4 groups where one group was given either meditation with muscle relaxation exercises, another group was also given this meditation exercise with cognitive behavioral therapy. The other two groups received either a placebo medication or no treatment at all. The groups with meditation had a significant reduction in tension headaches compared to the placebo group and the group that received no treatment at all.

Meditation also helps against migraines, but not muscle relaxation meditation. Research(8) comparing different meditation techniques for the effect they had on the frequency, severity and medication use of patients who regularly suffered from migraines found that seated spiritual meditation had a significant effect on reducing the number of migraine attacks and reducing medication use. Unfortunately, the migraine attack itself, when it did occur, did not become less severe.

In this spiritual sitting meditation, it is important to let go of things and actually not be super aware of things.

Meditation that focused precisely on being very aware, on your surroundings, for example, did not have the desired effect against a migraine.

This form is also similar to Raja Yoga, where you also meditate. This form helped people with chronic tension headaches get rid of them.

Research (9) conducted with 88 people who regularly suffered from migraines shows that meditating for 20 minutes daily can reduce migraine attacks by half. This effect was measured after one month and one month after that the number of migraine attacks was still halved.

So meditation for headaches really works! This is great news if you want to use medication less and suffer from it regularly. Influencing your mental state also affects the pain you have in your head. Tension headaches and migraines need to disrupt your life much less often if you meditate regularly.

Want to learn more about meditation and other mental techniques that can improve the quality of your life? Then check out Hypnosis Institute Netherlands' training courses or come to a seminar.

Also pin this handy infographic as a reminder:

meditation for headaches