Tablets are good, but they aren’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to treating medical conditions. Alternative treatments such as acupuncture, physiotherapy, and much more can be effective in relieving certain conditions.
One thing which has proved helpful with some migraine sufferers is psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy is a term which encompasses a few different treatments such as mindfulness-based stress reduction for migraine (MBSR-M), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), biofeedback, and relaxation training. These not only help by managing how the sufferer responds to pain, but there is also evidence to suggest that some of these treatments can reduce the frequency, duration and intensity of migraine attacks, as well as lowering the overall burden of migraine.
Part of the reason that psychotherapy can be effective is down to neuroplasticity. This is the theory that the brain can change the response it has to what is practised and what is experienced.
Another reason why psychotherapy can help is because it can reduce stress. Up to 80% of migraine patients say that stress is a trigger for their attacks.
Unlike with traditional pharmaceutical options, psychotherapy is far less likely to result in any adverse side effects, and this is one reason why it might be the preferred treatment option for some migraine sufferers. Alternatively, it can also be a path to go down for migraine sufferers who have other medical conditions which make taking medication for their migraines impossible due to dangerous interactions between drugs.
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