Migraine can be defined as a paroxysmal affection and also known as "sick headache", accompanied by severe headache, generally on one side of the head and associated with disorders of the digestion, the liver and the vision. It usually occurs when a person is under great mental tension or has suddenly got over that state. Nausea and vomiting occasionally accompany the excruciating pain, which lasts for as long as three days.

Symptoms of Migraine:
Migraine usually gives warning before it strikes, viz: black spots or a brilliant zig-zag line appear before the eyes or the patient has blurring of vision or has part of his vision blanked out. When the headache occurs the patient may feel tingling, numbness, or weakness in an arm or leg.

Causes of Migraine:
In a migraine, the head and neck muscles, reacting to continuous stress, become over-worked. The tightened muscles squeeze the arteries and reduce blood flow. When a person relaxes suddenly, the constricted muscles expand, stretching the walls of the blood vessel. With every heartbeat, the blood being pushed through these vessels expands them further and causes incredible pain.

Treatment of Migraine by Nature Cure:
When a headache strikes, one should stay on one`s feet in the daytime and do simple chores, which do not require too much concentration, or walk, move around and get some fresh air.

Diet:
The best remedy to prevent headaches is to build up physical resistance through proper nutrition, exercise and constructive thinking. Thus, a person should undertake a short fast. During the fast, citrus fruit juices diluted with water may be taken six times daily.

After a short fast, the diet should be fixed in such a way as to put the least possible strain on the digestion. The food should consists as follows:
Morning: Drink a glass of water (warm water in winter and cool water in summer) mixed with a teaspoonful of honey the first thing in the morning.
Breakfast:It should consist of fruits, both fresh and dried.
Lunch: It should consist largely of protein foods. Starchy foods such as whole wheat bread, cereals, rice, or potatoes should be taken at dinner along with raw salads. However, more of spices, tomatoes, sour buttermilk and oily foodstuffs should be avoided.

Water Treatments:

•There are certain water applications, which help relieve headaches. Copious drinking of water can help, as do the cleansing enema.

•Even a hot foot bath, a cold throat pack, frequent applications of towels wrung out from very hot water to the back of the neck, a cold compress at 40 to 60 F applied to the head and face or an alternate spinal compress should help.

•Hot fomentations over the abdominal region just before retiring also relieve headaches due to stomach and liver upsets.

Treatment of Migraine by Yogic Asanas:
Yogic kriyas like jalneti and kunjal, pranayamas like anuloma-viloma, shitali and sitkari and asanas such as uttanpadasana, sarvangasana, paschimottanasana, halasana and shavasana are useful in the treatment of headaches.

Treatment of Migraine by Acupressure:
Tension and congested energy from a migraine headache can be released with simple acupressure massage. To begin the massage for migraine headaches, you will need to sit in a comfortable chair or lie down; choose a dark and dimly lit area, as the oncoming or current migraine headache has likely made you sensitive to light. Later the procedure is as follows:


•Begin the massage procedure at the center of your forehead between your eyebrows, applying tension to the tenderest points.

•Start with the top of the head, and apply pressure with your middle and index finger pressing down gently on the middle of your head.