Today it is exactly half a year since my last migraine attack. My Excedrin Migraine bottle is past it’s expiration date, I enjoy my chai, drink red wine with dinner whenever I want to, and I eat enough chocolate to make up for lost time. How did this happen? Can yoga prevent migraines?

I used to get up to three migraine attacks a week, and it was an endless cycle of headaches and painkillers. I quit caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, cheese, bananas, everything I had read might trigger migraines. None of this helped. Then, two years ago, I started practicing yoga almost every day. I noticed the migraines came further and further apart — one week, two weeks, then one month, then three months. And now half a year.

Amazed by this experience I decided to do a little research on migraines and yoga.* I found a very interesting article on how yoga can reduce migraine attacks, describing a study done at the University of Rajasthan. Scientists are starting to understand the effects of yoga on the brain, and there are several migraine-related neurotransmitters and hormones that are affected by yoga:

• Cortisol: If there is one thing all migraine sufferers know, it is that stress is a big migraine trigger. According to the University of Rajasthan scientists mentioned in the article above, yoga reduces the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
• Serotonin: The Mayo Clinic web site states that during a migraine headache, serotonin levels drop. The University of Rajasthan scientists found that “low serotonin levels might cause blood vessels to dilate and cause migraine. And yoga is known to improve levels of serotonin.”
• GABA: A study about how yoga works to ease depression and anxiety discovered “a significant boost in levels of the brain neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric, or GABA, immediately after a one-hour yoga session.” The scientists knew that some epilepsy drugs are designed to increase GABA, and the same epilepsy drugs can be used for migraine prevention. One theory mentioned on eMedicine is that plasma extravasation caused by stimulation of the trigeminal nerve causes migraine pain, and GABA agonists block this plasma extravasation.

Resources:
Yoga can reduce migraine attacks
Living Well: Researcher documents the benefits of yoga in lifting depression
eMedicine.com: Migraine Headache
eMedicine: Pathophysiology and Treatment of Migraine and Related Headache
Postures for Migraine Headaches
Yoga for Migraine

* Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and my research and theories are based on news articles, online medical databases, and my own experiences.