Yoga Helps Reduce Migraine Frequency, Intensity: Study

The results of a new study suggest adding yoga to migraine treatments is better than just taking medications alone. Yoga reportedly helped migraines happen less often and become less painful.

Migraines are not just typical headaches as they can cause severe throbbing pain that is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to lights and sounds. The pain can last for several hours to a few days and, in some people, the migraines can be so severe it interferes with normal daily activities.

About 10% of people worldwide are affected by migraines, with many of them having to skip school or work due to the pain. There are medications for migraines, but, according to the researchers of a new study published in the journal Neurology, only about half of the people who take medication for it actually get relief. In fact, some people even experience negative side effects.

For the new study, researchers wanted to evaluate whether adding yoga to migraine medications would result in better clinical outcomes than taking medications alone.

A total of 114 people between 18 to 50 years old participated in the study, all of whom experience four to 14 migraines per month. They were then randomly assigned to two groups, one that will only take medication and another that will do yoga also.

All of the participants were given the proper migraine medications and were counseled about the lifestyle changes that help with migraine management, but, those in the second group had to do yoga, initially with an instructor for the first month, then in their own homes five days a week for the next two months.

All the participants also had to take note of factors such as the length of their migraines, how severe the pains were, possible triggering activities and the medications they took.

After the three-month test period, those in the group that only took medication saw a 12% decrease in headache frequency, from 7.7 headaches a month to 6.8. Those in the yoga plus medication group, however, saw a 48% decrease in headache frequency from 9.1 headaches a month to just 4.7.

The average number of pills the participants took also reflected similar results, with the medication only group seeing a 12% decrease and the yoga plus medication group seeing a 47% decrease.

Overall, the participants in the yoga plus medication group experienced less migraines, less painful attacks, and even had to use less medications. Simply put, although both groups noted improvements, those who did yoga in addition to common migraine medication experienced significantly better results than those who took medication alone.

"Yoga as an add-on therapy in migraine is superior to medical therapy alone," the researchers wrote. "It may be useful to integrate a cost-effective and safe intervention like yoga into the management of migraine."

In 2014, a study also found similar results in that the people who practiced yoga apart from the regular migraine medications experienced significant reductions in headache frequency and intensity.

Both studies used yoga as an addition to conventional medications and both showed significant benefits, possibly since stress is one of the most common triggers of migraine and yoga helps in dealing with it. In fact, previous studies have also shown that yoga can also improve anxiety and depression symptoms.

"Migraine is one of the most common headache disorders, but only about half the people taking medication for it get real relief," study author Rohit Bhatia, M.D., D.M., D.N.B. said in a press release from the American Academy of Neurology. "The good news is that practicing something as simple and accessible as yoga may help much more than medications alone. And all you need is a mat."

Although the researchers noted that further studies may be needed to determine the long-term benefits of yoga for migraine relief, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke also stressed on the possible benefits of stress management therapies for migraine management.

"Behaviorally, stress management strategies, such as exercise, relaxation techniques, biofeedback mechanisms, and other therapies designed to limit daily discomfort, may reduce the number and severity of migraine attacks," the agency noted.