Meditation helps with headaches, says study – 02/05/2024 – Balance

An Italian study points out that performing mindfulness techniques daily brings several benefits to patients, including pain relief for those suffering from chronic migraines and headaches due to excessive medication use. The researchers suggest that the technique is a good complementary therapy option for pain management.

Chronic migraine is characterized by 15 or more headache days per month and excessive use of acute pain control medications for at least three months. These are patients who, due to the problem, limit daily activities and have impacts on their personal and social life. For these cases, there are already known pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, but some studies have shown that approaches based on mindfulness can be beneficial.

Based on this hypothesis, researchers from the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, in Milan (Italy), evaluated 177 patients in two groups: usual treatment, which received guidance on reducing excessively used medications, adequate health care, lifestyle and correct use of medicines; and the second, who received the same guidelines, but associated with the intervention of mindfulness practice.

Participants completed six 90-minute in-person group meditation sessions once a week, plus daily individual practice guidance lasting 7 to 10 minutes. They were instructed and trained to use the technique at home – the aim of the method is to focus on breathing, recognizing emerging thoughts, feelings and emotions. Patients were also encouraged to share information about headaches, better accept the disease and recognize when they need medication or not.

After one year, the group that received mindfulness interventions had a reduction of more than 50% in the frequency of headache attacks, surpassing the group that received only the usual treatment. This was observed by 78.4% of participants who practiced mindfulness versus 48.3% of those who received standard treatment. Additionally, the meditation group also increased productive time, improved quality of life, and reported a reduction in medication intake and total (direct and indirect) health-related expenses.

According to Maria Ester Azevedo Massola, coordinator of the Integrative Medicine Team at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, these results are important because they highlight the potential of mindfulness practices as a complementary approach to headache treatment.

She highlights that the results are relevant, since excessive use of medications is associated with the chronification of migraines. “The reduction in medication consumption contributes to the prevention of the problem, at the same time that the reduction in the impact of headaches can promote a substantial improvement in patients’ functional capacity and quality of life”, she says.

Massola also states that there is already some evidence that suggests the benefits of meditation in controlling headaches, mainly studies associating CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) and mindfulness.

“This study contributes to the growing evidence base supporting the inclusion of integrative therapies in the treatment of various pathologies. Associating mindfulness sessions as part of standard treatment offers patients a non-pharmacological approach to managing their condition, which is especially relevant considering the challenges associated with overuse of headache medications.”

The coordinator highlights that another important point of the study is that patients who did meditation also learned to incorporate the mindfulness technique into their self-care to control pain, which provides greater autonomy and empowerment.

“Mindfulness, characterized by the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment, enables patients to develop skills to deal more effectively with pain and stress, resulting in a decrease in the frequency and intensity of crises. Furthermore, this approach offers tools that promote greater body awareness, helping the patient to identify early signs of headache and take preventive measures before the pain intensifies”, he says.