No Sweat! Treat Your Next Migraine with Movement

TheDailyZeel

By: StacyAtZeel

National Migraine Awareness Month

has made us particularly, well, aware of those head-pounders that can knock us out for hours at a time. As many a migraine sufferer knows, treatment of the condition can be tricky. Pills and prescriptions can often render you achy and lethargic, while the unique ingredients required for home-brewed remedies can be sometimes difficult to find.

Says licensed acupuncturist and Zeel Expert Aram Akopyan, when recognized during the prodrome phase, which is the foremost stage of the episode, gentle movement-like a 10-minute walk in fresh air-can help to lessen oncoming stress while reducing the severity of the migraine. He also adds that rigorous exercise should be avoided, as it can expedite the onset and exacerbate the intensity.

Feel a migraine coming on? Aram encourages you to try this:

1. Stand legs shoulder width apart with your back straight. Gently stretch your spine to an erect position and elevate the vertex of your head with your chin slightly tilted downward, so as to expose the cervical vertebra.

2. Inhale while raising both arms from the sides, reaching your hands over the top of your head. Exhale while lowering your hands downward in front of your face.

3. Visualize the muscles of the head, face, neck and upper back relaxing slowly and gradually. With each breath, relax the muscles more and more. Repeat the process for 10 minutes.

Try performing these exercises once in the morning and once at night before bed to maintain your migraines even before they begin. Otherwise, a regular regimen of moderate cardiovascular exercise and stretching, daily meditation and tai chi, can help maintain good health and proper circulation, ultimately helping to prevent migraines.