As we move into the Christmas and New Year festivities many people crack open slightly more bottles of wine than usual. Some white, some rose and some red.

It isn’t the first time red wine has been mentioned on this blog and it probably won’t be the last. But, if red wine is one of your migraine triggers you’ll be well advised to avoid it over the holiday period.

Often a migraine is triggered by the cumulative effect of several triggers that on their own wouldn’t cause you a problem.

So poor diet, plus the stress of preparations and (dare I say it?) visitors – can all pile on the agony; and that glass of wine to relax could actually be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back and triggers a migraine!

Click to download some free tips on how to handle stress. They’ll stand you in good stead through the holidays, or in everyday life.

But I’ve also been looking for good news, and it arrived in the form of a website promoting the health benefits of red wine. You’ll find extensive information, and of course the obvious warning that moderation is key to all, together with some of the dangers of alcohol abuse.

Reflexology is a safe and effective therapy for migraine sufferers.   For anyone unfamiliar with reflexology, it is the practice of applying pressure to reflexes in the feet and hands that correspond to specific body organs.  By stimulating nerves on specific areas of the feet and hands, we can stimulate blood flow, lower stress and eliminate accumulated toxins in the corresponding organs and systems of the body.  By this means, many forms of sickness and disease can be reversed or at the very least, the symptoms can be effectively treated.

One of the most common uses for reflexology is for stress relief.  In our fast paced society today, everyone is looking for a way to unload the stress of everyday life and for good reason.  Stress is a silent killer.  The effects of stress have been studied for quite some time and it is known that if you do not release stress from your body on a regular basis, it will eventually wreak havoc on your body in the form of one of many different sicknesses or diseases.  Furthermore, stress can definitely be a factor in migraine headache development.  Relieving stress is an important step in becoming well.

Although reflexologists cannot diagnose or claim to cure a sickness or disease, the results speak for themselves, making it one of the most sought after treatments today.  Many celebrities have regular reflexology sessions.  Not only is it beneficial as a tool for relaxation and stress management, but it is also an effective tool for improving circulation; relieving pain, and as an immune and nervous system stimulator.  Many people suffering from migraines have benefited from reflexology.

To learn more about reflexology, this website considers itself the “most popular reflexology site for foot and hand reflexology information on the Internet”. The site is impressive with some well known reflexologists presenting a good selection of reflexology charts, books, newsletters and research that is useful to therapists and patients alike.

If you plan to use a professional reflexologist, always check that they are fully registerd. Here is an information website provided by the Association of Reflexologists. It provides the latest information, useful links and contacts to the general public while a separate category has been made available especially for those that are trying to qualify as a therapist.

Having recently enjoyed an Indian Head Massage, using a Christmas gift voucher from my son, I asked holistic therapist, Pauline McKittrick, from Really Good Life, for her thoughts on how Indian Head Massage could help migraine sufferers. Read her comments below. (And as a personal aside, I can vouch for the fact that my massage was an absolutely blissful experience!!)

Here’s Pauline, on “Indian Head Massage”:

Pauline McKittrick, Holistic Therapist. Really Good Life, Formby, Liverpool (UK)

I wanted to comment on how one of the therapies I regularly use with clients (Indian head massage) can support the prevention of migraines.

The Hindi word for head massage is champi or champisage, which is where the word “shampoo” comes from.

Families and barbers in India routinely used champi for over 4,000 years. The massage works on arms, shoulders, upper back, neck, scalp, eyes, ears and face and typically lasts between 20-45 minutes. A good therapist will tailor it to the client’s preference.

Clients are left with a sense of utter well-being, with tensions in the upper body, neck and head alleviated and a clear, calm frame of mind.

For migraine sufferers the main benefits are in the prevention of migraine attacks.

There is often a correlation between migraine attacks occurring and tension in the upper body, stress and anxiety, reduced blood flow to the brain, and disturbed sleep – all of which can be alleviated by Indian head massage.

Clinical trials on patients suffering with migraine showed an increase in serotonin levels following massage.  Serotonin is a neurotransmitter found in the brain that is important in reducing pain. It could be deduced that a relaxing massage can therefore help reduce migraine frequency and levels of pain.

Tension often reduces blood flow to the brain, which can cause neck muscles to tighten. Massage combats this, promoting blood flow and relaxing the neck. Massage also releases natural endorphins that reduce pain and promote a feel-good factor. The pulse is also lowered and breathing slows during massage, calming the body and mind.

I would not advise attempting to alleviate symptoms with Indian head massage during a migraine attack to  as the massage can be too deep.

Perhaps some gentle self massage may feel beneficial instead – using acupressure with thumbs gently in the hollows between the neck muscles below the base of the skull. Or try gently leaning your head back, breathing deeply while pressing between your thumb and forefinger with the thumb and index finger of your opposite hand for one minute, and repeat with the other hand.

Drinking lots of water is important after massage treatments, and also avoid tea and coffee for the rest of the day. This is often a trigger for migraine sufferers anyway.

Migraine prevention is, of course, better than cure. Massage isn’t capable of curing a serious illness like migraine – but it can provide welcome relief from the symptoms of anxiety, tension, depression, sleep problems and stress, as well as back pain, headache, muscle pain and some forms of chronic pain.

If, on reflection, you are feeling routinely stressed and think that this may be triggering your migraine attacks perhaps it would be helpful for you to find out more about stress management techniques or stress coaching, in order to change the situation that’s causing the stress in the long-term.

I hope this information is useful and if you try an Indian head massage, or some of my self-help tips, it will help promote your well-being and reduce the occurrence or severity of your migraines.

Please contact Pauline with any comments or questions.

Following on from my post a few days ago about “walking, talking and laughing” I came across the following post about laughter clubs in the news.

If you can bear with the initial (possibly) “fake” laughter in the news-clip, you’ll see that this is backed up by science. And I mean no insult when I talk about fake laughter, because you’ll hear in the clip that the well-being effect is even induced by fake laughter.

More on laughter’s therapeutic effect.

So…. next time someone sends you a corny joke in your email, enjoy it anyway.  A good belly laugh is just what the doctor ordered.

Other stress reduction techniques are available in my ebook.

Qualified complementary therapists keep up-to-date with their profession via training and continual personal development. My governing body runs regular sessions we can attend to introduce us to the work of other practitioners and learn how it can help our clients.

This morning I attended a fascinating talk by Adam Shaw, a qualified health consultant with over 16 years of experience in the health care field – and a great sense of humour.

Adam held us spell-bound for a couple of hours with the story of his life-journey, and introduced us to his Walk Innovation sessions.

What has this got to do with migraine? Well, we all know that walking is good for you. Instinctively you may feel, or have experienced, that talking things over is good for you. What may come as more of a surprise to some people is that laughing is great therapy too – releasing serotonin, often referred to as the “feel-good” hormone.

So combining walking, talking and laughing is absolutely amazing for you – and this is precisely what Adam Shaw’s Walk Innovation sessions will do.

If your migraines could be caused by unresolved issues and stresses in your life, Adam’s workshops could be just what you’re looking for.

Other approaches to stress reduction can be found in my ebook.

Many sufferers believe, probably correctly, that their migraines are triggered by stress.

In my own case, bizarrely, it seemed to be relief after getting through stress that would bring on a migraine. For example, if I were preparing  dinner for visitors, I would handle all the preparations perfectly adequately and even enjoy the evening, but then when it was all over, a migraine would develop.

This is largely history now, but I still get the occasional stress-triggered headache when I take on more than I should.

So it was with great interest that I found a free email course of tips on getting more done in your day.

The course promises that within minutes of registering, you will:

• See your day with instant clarity
• Focus instantly on what´s important
• Dump the rest (liberation is a click away)
• Clear your brain of clutter and distraction

And after receiving just a few days of their emails I’ve already had great results.

Register below, free, and within days you can boost your productivity and reduce your stress.