Taking Control of Migraines and Headaches

Amongst the most debilitating conditions there are migraines and headaches can be treated successfully with hypnotherapy.

It is important to know that migraines and headaches are not the same thing. Generally a migraine has a number of stages to it. The initial stage is that of warning symptoms and is known as the prodromal phase. You may experience a change in mood, a funny taste in the mouth and tiredness. You are likely to experience the aura which is a kind of visual disturbance where you may have trouble seeing clearly, or you may see flashing lights. Once the headache starts, the pain is usually so severe that you feel nauseated or actually vomit.

You may become sensitive to light or to sound. Invariably, you will want to lie down for several hours in a darkened room. After the migraine has passed, you will usually feel very tired wanting to sleep and may have lingering feelings of nausea. It appears that when a migraine occurs, the blood vessels in the head dilate and very often the area can feel hot. At the same time, the hands can feel very cold. Headaches are not accompanied by the aura or nausea but may also interfere with the quality of your life.

Triggers

Whilst migraines and headaches are not the same, they can have similar triggers. Not surprisingly, both can be triggered by stress and tension and we often refer to tension headaches. Foods can also instigate them. Chocolate, cheese and red wine are known to be common causes of both migraines and headaches but indeed any food can do it. If you suspect food might be implicated, keeping a food diary can help you identify it. In some women, the onset of migraine or headache is linked to the hormonal changes of the menstrual cycle.

Treating Headaches With Hypnotherapy

It is important to know that you must have had a satisfactory medical diagnosis before you can be treated with hypnotherapy. Your hypnotherapist will want to know many details about your experience of headaches in order to design appropriate treatment for you. This information will also include the activities the headaches prevent you from engaging in, what you do when you have a headache and anything that helps to relieve it, and what your goals for hypnotherapy are. Situations or moods that bring them on are also valuable information.

Depending on your goals, a variety of actions might form part of your treatment. You might for example be taught a pain management technique. You will likely be taught self-hypnosis so that you can learn to relax and use it to deal with stressful situations. In some cases, it may be necessary to find out if the headaches are a way for your unconscious mind to attract your attention so that you might deal with something. In other cases, there are times when it is necessary to go back to a situation that triggered the headaches in the first place in order to resolve the matter and release any held emotion.

Treating Migraines With Hypnotherapy

Much of what has been said about the treatment of headaches with hypnotherapy also applies to the treatment of migraines. Many find that using self-hypnosis as soon as a migraine threatens can completely stop a full-blown migraine in its tracks. Learning to direct blood flow away from the head to the hands can also do wonders.

There is no need to suffer unnecessarily with either headaches or migraines. Whether or not they can or you want them to be fully resolved, with hypnotherapy you can learn to take more control over them.