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Exercise for Migraine Prevention

June 19th, 2008

When the wonderful May Migraine and Headache Blog Carnival came out on the topic, “How to integrate exercise into a life filled with migraines,” I was in the midst of my month and a half of viruses, flu and bronchitis, and having several migraines a week, and I couldn’t bring myself to write about exercise, let alone do it.  So I submitted a post on Calming Down the Migraine Brain, with relaxation exercises, which are also a good thing!

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in regular exercise and I know I’m better off when I do it.  There’s just a nasty chicken and egg dilemma when you are too sick to get moving.  Another familiar dilemma for me is when I’m too stressed and worried to allow myself to drop everything and exercise, even though I know the exercise will reduce my stress and make me more effective at doing the stuff I’m worried about!

Sorry if the title was a bit of a come-on, I am not going to write a post today full of science on why exercise helps prevent migraines.  I promise to pull the research together and write that post soon.  Today I will give you an anecdotal, personal short-term success story.

It’s probably too soon to say this, but I have exercised every day for the last eight, and in that time I have had only one very mild migraine. Lately, this is big success for me as I have been having 5 –
8 migraines per month. Since I started recovering from the bronchitis, I’ve been walking every day, and stretching most days.   Look at where I have to walk – right outside my door!  The beautiful field does make it somewhat easier.

I know there are other factors: the weather has been mostly good; I have been taking it very easy as I have been recovering from being sick.  I have really put my worries on hold and the stress level has been pretty low.  How did I do that?  I was too sick to even think, let alone worry, and I just gave myself over to recovering.  I prayed a lot.  I did my relaxation exercises when I had enough brain to focus on them.  It probably didn’t hurt at all that Danny and I had just decided to let go of a business that was giving us enormous stress with very little return. I also have been almost entirely without caffeine – I didn’t want it
when I was sick and so I broke the habit and see no need to go back.  I also know it has only been eight days – not a statistically significant sample!

Despite all of those factors, which surely contributed to calming my migraine brain, and the short time period, I think the exercise has been preventing migraines.  It’s hard to describe, but I just have a sense of my system being calmer.  I feel good!  I started on the first day I felt well enough to even sit up out of bed – on that day I walked 7 minutes, at a geriatric pace.  I have increased it every day.   Eight days later I’m walking 45 minutes at a brisk pace.

While there’s not much evidence showing that exercise has a direct bearing on Migraine prevention, doctors remind us that regular exercise raises our endorphin levels, which makes us more resistant to pain.

Doctors tell us again and again we need to exercise and there’s tons of science behind it. But it’s hard to
remember that when my head hurts, or I’m exhausted or stressed out, or it’s blistering hot out.   I’m planning to get the elliptical machine fixed for rainy or blistering hot days.  I’m also planning to get up and out early before the heat settles in, or go out around sun-down.  If you all would remind me, it would help over-ride my built-in forgetters.

– Megan
Let’s go for a walk!

Race Walk image courtesy of Kris Krug

Tags: exercise, migraine prevention, relaxation
Posted in Managing, Medicine, Weblogs | Comments (2)