Doctor’s Corner:
Migraine/Headache (Sooryavarta)
Details
A Migraine headache is throbbing moderate to severe pain usually on one side of head that is worsened by physical activity, light, sound or smells and that is associated with nausea/vomiting.
According to Ayurveda it is referred to as ’pitta vata vriddhi in kapha sthanam’.
CAUSES OF MIGRAINE:-
It could be triggered due to food allergies
due to stress-straining/bending
due to lack of food,fasting,dieting or irregular meals
sometimes could be due to high blood pressure .
intake of chocolate, seafood, alcohol, smoke can trigger migraine.
extreme noise/intense smell aggravates headache
hormonal triggers- migraine headache in women may result from hormonal changes during menstrual cycle:after menopause the headache usually decreases.
Meditation could cut the need for pain relieving medication ,also Relaxation techniques like yoga helps in such conditions Including almond, almond milk, parsley, fennel, garlic in the diet is advisable
Avoiding loud noises,strong odour and high altitudes.
Losing weight often helps to conquer migraine.
A decoction of honey with ginger tea cooled and taken helps to alleviate migraine for some individuals.
Ayurvedic therapies like Shiro pichu, Shiro vasti, Nasyam, Shiro dhara with the medicated oils have proved to be beneficial in migraine cases in a long run along with dietary recommendation according to individual body type along with internal medication.
Treatment Case Study
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Patient’s age – 69 Sex – M
Presenting Complaint:-
Patient complained of frequent head ache on one side only, that has existed for a year. The pain is shifting in nature. The pain gets worse as the day passes by or while working at night.
Medical History:- Patient was under allopathic medication for the past 1year.
Ayurvedic approach :-
Patient was put on ayurvedic medication for 1 month including some diet restrictions. Patient was also advised to undergo Nasal drop therapy at our centre for a particular duration of time.
Observation: —
Patient felt improvement in the frequency of headaches, after the external therapy and was advised to undergo internal medication for one more month. After one month, the frequency of migraine was further reduced to a great extent and patient has been put on follow up medication for another 2 months, including external therapy.