Effect of yoga nidra on the brain activity in individuals with migraine

Abstract

Background: Migraine is a frequent neurological problem that carries the largest burden in terms of years spent disabled among neurological conditions. The conventional management has not been able to successfully treat migraine and hence, there was a need for combating these disorders through conventional therapies like yoga with an evidence-based approach. As there are only few evidence in this aspect, this research aims at finding evidence for yoga and naturopathy on migraine. Materials and Methods: Participants ( n = 60) were randomly allocated into two groups, control group ( n = 30) and intervention group ( n = 30). The intervention group received Yoga Nidra and the control group was given supine rest (Rest without conscious awareness). The electroencephalogram data were recorded both at baseline and postintervention for both groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 (IBM Corp. Released 2011. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY: IBM Corp), and the results were tabulated. Results: The results of the current study showed increased frequency in alpha waves in the interventional group compared to the control group. The control group showed no significant changes in the brain activity. Conclusion: The results indicate that Yoga Nidra induces relaxation through enhanced alpha waves. This shows that Yoga Nidra helps in parasympathetic dominance and hence decreases sympathetic activation. Hence, this study suggests that Yoga Nidra could be used as an effective tool in combating stress and neuropsychiatric symptoms in migraine patients.