People with migraine have common traits, such as skipping breakfast, difficulty sleeping, perfectionism, being intelligent, etc. But one trait is the heightened awareness through the senses. It is believed that in prehistoric times, those with migraine were the ones who kept others safe by being very aware of their surroundings and any dangers that existed. Those who were not as acutely aware were not as adept at protecting their family members. When a life threatening event occurred, such as being chased by a tiger, the body went through a series of changes to prevent death, including increasing the heart rate, pooling the blood away from the extremities to the internal organs, and producing high levels of blood clotting factor. The purpose was to prevent bleeding to death if bitten by that tiger. After the danger passed, so did the “stress response” and the body returned to a normal, relaxed state.

Today, we tend to get stuck in the stress response. We have many daily stressors, such as alarm clocks, job stress, financial stress, environmental stresses such as allergens and fluorescent lights, food additives, etc. Because of the many stressors that bombard us, the body may forget how to return to a normal, relaxed state. As a result, our society has seen an increase in cardiovascular disease with increased blood clotting factor circulating through the body. The hands and feet may stay cold due to the body shunting blood to the internal organs and away from the hands and feet, which explains the common symptom of cold hands and feet in many people with migraine.

For those with migraine with an already sensitive nervous system, training may be required to teach the body how to return to a normal, relaxed state. Relaxation is not reading a book, or watching TV. It is a time when the body reaches “physiologic relaxation”, resulting in “mental” relaxation. Although it may sound easy, it takes practice to be able to reach a state of relaxation. In this state, you feel very comfortable, your mind is clear, your arms and legs feel heavy and warm, your forehead feels cool, your abdomen is warm, your breathing is free and easy, and your heart rate is calm and regular.

At Headache Care Center, we utilize temperature biofeedback as a tool to reach a state of relaxation. Combined with deep breathing, this can become a very effective technique to ward off a headache during prodrome, or stop a headache during the mild-moderate pain phase. This technique is particularly effective in children.