Alternative und integrative Medizin

Advantage of Yoga in the Treatment of Primary Headache

Abstract

Roni Sharon

Primary headache and Migraine are common conditions in every society and are the 6th leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting approximately 12% of Americans and millions worldwide, resulting in an inability to attend work or school for at least 1 day every 3 months. Numerous pharmacological options exist for headaches treatment, but these therapies come at high cost and carry numerous potential adverse effects. Yoga is an ancient Indian non-religious technique that is known to aid in treatments of chronic conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression, hypertension and diabetes, and have a substantial effect on reducing headache burden. Research studies have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of yoga lifestyle modifications and exercise on chronic pain syndromes, specifically in primary headache and migraine. Yoga was shown to improves quality of life, reduce headache intensity and headache frequency, when used alone or as an adjuvant to conventional therapy and show a significant decrease in headache frequency and intensity along with a reduction in the use of symptomatic medication. Yoga, being a slow non-exertional aerobic exercise, enhances mood and alleviates stress and depression in adults and invaluable treatment alternative in the pediatric population, where it can create a sustainable healthy lifestyle.