Management of Menstrual Migraine – An Ayurveda approach

Migraine is a common disabling primary headache disorder. Epidemiological studies have documented its high prevalence and high socio-economic and personal impacts. It is now ranked by the World Health Organization as number 19 among all diseases worldwide causing disability. Headaches in women, particularly migraine, have been related to changes in the levels of the female hormone estrogen during a woman’s menstrual cycle. Estrogen levels drop immediately before the start of the menstrual flow. Premenstrual migraines regularly occur during or after the time when the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, decrease to their lowest levels.1 Ayurveda advocates management of ardhavabedhaka is to treat it as vatavyadhi, and also due to apana vata vaigunya in the yoni during rajaswala there will be vataja shula in different parts of the body and specially burning type of pain in the shiras, thus the main line of management should aim at treating the vata vaigunya rather than symptomatic treatment.2,3 This article aims at putting forth a few herbs, which can probably help in managing the intensity of migraine attack.