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Management of Headaches in Ayurveda. Headaches are referred to as Shirashoola in Ayurveda. The causes are on account of various reasons including local- intracranial (within cranium or head) and systemic- extracranial(outside cranium /head).
Ayurveda believes that one of the important extracrainal causes of headache is disturbances in digestion andmetabolism especially in the case of migraine. The gut-brain axis is also significant in some headaches.
In Ayurveda headaches are classified as under:
1. Vataj- neurological causes and stress induced, characterized by impulses of pain with short
duration eg high Blood Pressure.
2. Pittaj- infection, inflammatory causes like meningitis, encephalitis, injury etc characterized by
intense throbbing pain of moderate duration. Infection in ear, sinuses etc
3. Kaphaj- odematous & SOL (space occupying lesion) leading to mild pain with long duration &
heaviness. Like Sinuses blockade, nasal block etc.
4. Sannipataj- Mix of all above characteristics.
In Ayurveda Management varies patient to patient and finalized after thorough examination
including personality assessment, detailed history, habitats, nature & place of stay etc.
Still some of procedure are like:
Deep breathing exercises, Yoga & Meditation particularly in Vataj- headache, Tension headache.
Nasya - Nasal instillation of Medicated oil, ghee, etc.
Shirodhara - streamline pouring of oil, decoction, milk, buttermilk etc on head area.
Powder Sniff (Shodhan Nasya) this is quite strong and usually done in kaphaj- headache.
Shiroabhyang- Head massage by medicated oils.
Shirovasti- keeping oil etc in a hat (like chefs hat) on head for a particular duration.
Foot Massage- with oils
Marma point stimulation.
Greeva vasti- medicated oil on the neck to check Cervical spondylitis
Internal Medicine- to correct digestion, to reduce pain, to calm stress levels, to reduceinflammation.
