Exercise – very rigorous, causing the blood to rush to the head or couch potato level, which causes a sufferer’s immune system to deteriorate – either extreme is probably not the best for the migraine condition.
Tempted to believe that the endorphins, the “runner’s high,” the extreme exercisers’ rush of well-being, might help alleviate migraine pain – I changed my mind after reading media reports that one of the world’s top tennis players suffers from migraines. If her elevated level of endorphins did not succeed in abating her migraine headaches, then maybe this was one more bit of confirmation of my theory that migraines do not favor any kind of extreme.
My question would then be – what are her triggers? And how is her top fitness level beneficial to her migraine condition? What is the impact of her level of exercise? Would she be worse off if she did not exercise at that level?
Then there is the other extreme: A therapist’s comment during a series of online lectures hosted by Dr. Perlmutter that “sitting is the new smoking” motivated me to add to my personal daily exercise routine.
My pet theory is that exercise needs to keep the blood and other body fluids flowing, the muscles moving but not straining, and keeping blood circulation and muscle tension preferably away from the head and upper shoulders. and in the case of migraines, I have this emotional allergy to “no pain, no gain.” I’ll settle for a little less gain if that comes with less pain; thank you very much.
If a whole body massage causes the body fluids to move steadily back and forth, and the muscles and soft tissues to be kneaded to and fro like working a bread dough, and if a massage relaxes a person and soothes away a migraine headache, then perhaps the best option for the migraine sufferer is exercise that is conducted not in fits and starts, or sudden abrupt movement, but rather, slowly, steadily, constantly in all directions – so that every body part gets a workout.
And keeping the blood flowing as much as possible away from the head and the top of the shoulders. I submit to you that even massaging blood and lymphatic fluid toward the head is maybe not the best idea: the head is already far too often too full of blood that overstays its welcome, presses against the nerves in the scalp, and creates pain. So give those areas a respite.
A friend of mine signed up for a three-hour Pilates master class. She said she had never moved so slowly and gently during an exercise session and never had such a workout. None of it was done under any strain. Maybe that is a good strategy for a migraine sufferer.
I signed up for a qigong master class given by an elderly Chinese gentleman. Qigong is a form of gentle exercise that can be practiced until an advanced age. It consists of gentle, repetitive movements that enhance both mental and physical well-being.
It focuses on breathing optimally. I found it to be a good workout since the muscles are constantly under gentle tension, rather than the clean and jerk of, say, weightlifting, where the muscle is tense for a brief moment, then inactive for the next.
In qigong, the muscle is constantly being moved and, therefore, continually requiring blood. The movements are slow and graceful and feel like a dance without music – a blessing for the migraine sufferer for whom excessive sound is a potential trigger.
Yoga is another form of gentle exercise that is beneficial to migraine sufferers for keeping in shape, provided you keep your head higher than your heart. Point out to your teacher that you suffer from migraines and ask them to assign exercises that prevent you from lowering your head or – yikes! – keep you upside down.
Save that for when your pain threshold has risen enough for you to be able to tolerate such an activity without the blood rushing to cause trouble to your head and cause mischief.
Getting rid of migraines – and finding the optimal level of daily exercise – is like learning to walk a tightrope: you will have to tread very carefully, keeping your mind and body functions in a perfect enough balance to not fall off your perch.
And like learning to walk a tightrope, practice makes perfect – along with perfecting an extensive bag of healthy tricks. In other words – one answer may fit all, but in the case of migraines, one answer may not result in complete freedom from pain.
