| By the time I had reached my late teens, I began to | | | | in the pantheon of tools available to doctors, nurses |
| recognize the precursors to my migraine headaches. I | | | | and caregivers. |
| knew when one was brewing! At such times, I would | | | | Research studies of tension-type headache sufferers |
| seek out a quiet, dark room, lie down, close my eyes | | | | (migraine sufferers) suggest that autogenic relaxation |
| and try to blank out all my thoughts. My goal was to | | | | training may be more effective than medication, |
| relax completely. I controlled my breathing and | | | | biofeedback and psychotherapy for people suffering |
| concentrated on my goal of total relaxation. Often, | | | | with chronic headache pain. |
| after a few minutes, I would doze off. When I | | | | Another tool closely associated with autogenic |
| awakened, anywhere from a few minutes to an hour | | | | relaxation is biofeedback. Biofeedback has produced |
| later, my precursors had vanished and I successfully | | | | similar positive results for a specific subset of |
| averted the onset of a full-blown migraine headache. | | | | patients. The biofeedback approach requires |
| I described this phenomena to my parents as | | | | sophisticated electronic equipment and as a result |
| "thinking away" my migraine. This technique has | | | | cannot be practiced by everyone. |
| worked for me for years and although my | | | | Although autogenic relaxation came to me in a rather |
| precursors have become very infrequent, I still use | | | | intuitive way, others may find it useful to seek |
| the technique of "thinking away" my migraines to this | | | | training in this technique. |
| very day, some 40 years later! | | | | There are many sites on the Internet that can help |
| I was a teenager in the 60's and of course, autogenic | | | | you learn the techniques and if you suffer chronic |
| relaxation was an unknown at that time. It was | | | | headache pain, I urge you to explore them and apply |
| some years later that I realized what I was doing by | | | | what you learn to reduce the frequency and severity |
| "thinking away" my migraine was, in fact, autogenic | | | | of your headaches. Much of this information is free |
| relaxation. I, therefore, consider myself a pioneer, | | | | and there are courses available on compact discs for |
| perhaps even the inventor of autogenic relaxation | | | | purchase. |
| and I am living proof that it works! | | | | Yoga has a great deal in common with autogenic |
| Seriously, autogenic relaxation is an amazing tool in | | | | relaxation techniques and is an alternative or |
| the field of pain management, known as palliative | | | | supplement that you may find valuable to pursue. |
| care in the medical world. Regardless of the etiology | | | | Yoga offers mind and body relaxation through |
| (cause) of the pain, autogenic relaxation has its place | | | | various exercises and meditative techniques. |