Mindfulness could help reduce migraines, study shows

BOSTON - There may be a drug-free way to help reduce migraine symptoms.

One in 10 people suffer from migraine headaches, which can be debilitating and impact their quality of life.  Now researchers at Yeshiva University have found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, including meditation, can help.

After six months of mindfulness sessions guided by a therapist, patients reported fewer and less intense migraines.  Mindfulness can be as simple as going out for a walk and focusing on the present without worrying about everything else you have to do that day.

The researchers say anything that can help people manage stress will probably improve migraine symptoms. 

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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