Sir,
I read the review article “The therapeutic value of yoga in neurological disease”[1] with great interest. Yoga, coupling physical exercise with breathing and relaxation, is a popular alternative form of mind body therapy. Yoga has long been used to reduce physical symptoms of chronic pain. It also helps an individual deal with emotional aspect of chronic pain by reducing anxiety and depression.
I want to highlight efficacy of yoga in treatment of migraine headache. John et al,[2] studied the effectiveness of yoga therapy in treatment of migraine without aura. In a randomized control trial, 72 patients with migraine without aura were randomly assigned to yoga therapy or self-care group for three months. Primary outcomes were headache frequency, severity, and pain component. Secondary outcomes were anxiety, depression, and medication score. The subjects in yoga group had statistically significant improvement in headache intensity, frequency, sensory pain rating index, affective pain rating index, total pain rating index, anxiety and depression score, and symptomatic medication use.
Although this study provides preliminary evidences regarding efficacy of yoga in patients with migraine, yet it opens a door and provides directions for further research in this field.
References
- 1.Mishra SK, Singh P, Bunch SJ, Zhang R. The therapeutic value of yoga in neurological disorders. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2012;15:247–54. doi: 10.4103/0972-2327.104328. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.John PJ, Sharma N, Sharma CM, Kankane A. Effectiveness of yoga therapy in treatment of migraine without aura: A randomized controlled trial. Headache. 2007;47:654–61. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2007.00789.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]