Meditation Lowers Migraine Severity, Duration

Meditation might help ease migraine, a new study suggests.

The study was conducted by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and was based on a small study group of 19 adults.

"Stress is a well-known trigger for headaches and research supports the general benefits of mind/body interventions for migraines, but there hasn't been much research to evaluate specific standardized meditation interventions," said Rebecca Erwin Wells, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at Wake Forest Baptist and lead author of the study.

Migraines are recurring attacks of moderate to severe pain that causes a throbbing or pulsating effect, usually on one side of the head. Studies have shown that migraines could lead to brain damage. The condition can disrupt everyday activities and can interfere with work, lowering quality of life for sufferers.

About 12 percent of the U.S. population suffers from migraines and women are three times more likely to suffer from this condition.

The current study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in adults with migraines. MBSR is a standardized meditation and yoga intervention.

In the study, ten participants received MBSR, while nine were given standard medical care. The participants attended eight weekly classes to learn meditation techniques and were asked to practice 45 minutes on additional five days a week.

The researchers then assessed participants' disability and mindfulness before and after the trials. The participants were also asked to maintain a log of frequency and duration of migraines.

The study showed that test participants had on an average 1.4 fewer migraines per month. Also, these moderate intensity migraines were shorter than those affecting the control group.

"We found that the MBSR participants had trends of fewer migraines that were less severe," Wells said in a news release. "Secondary effects included headaches that were shorter in duration and less disabling, and participants had increases in mindfulness and self-efficacy-a sense of personal control over their migraines. In addition, there were no adverse events and excellent adherence."

The researchers said that long-term studies that involve large number of patients is required to assess the efficacy of meditation treatment.

The study is published in the journal Headache.