YOGA THERAPY BOOKS BY GURUJI

It goes without saying that the human head is a cri tical component part of the body as the brain - most significant organ of the n ervous system – and all the senses are situated in the head. Any harm in the functioni ng of this significant organ can cause pain and dysfunction elsewhere in the body.

There are numerous causes of headache. Any damage t o the brain in the skull, its different parts, and their blood supply may lea d to headache. The disorder in the functioning of eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and throat may also result in headache. Headache may also be a reaction to a disorder in an y other organs in the body. We all know that one can suffer from headache in case of i ndigestion or gases, also in case of hypertension, or diabetes. It is difficult to find out the underlying cause of headache and then treat it, as there are a number of causes of headache. Hence stopping the patient’s headache is a headache to the doctor.

There are many pain-relieving medicines available i n the market. These only work on the pain and relieving the headache. But as the original cause is not treated, there is recurrence of headache, and the tendency t o take pain-relieving medicines for headache keeps increasing. Later the body repairs t he disorder internally and the person thinks that the medicine has done its job. B ut actually it is an illusion. To get rid of headache completely and forever, the underly ing cause must be found and treated. In this chapter we shall go through some o f the causes of headache.

Brain disease

The patient suffers from headache in any of the bra in diseases. Increased pressure of fluid in the brain, a tumor in the brai n, internal bleeding in the brain are some of the severe causes requiring surgery as trea tment. These diseases also cause other symptoms too (along with headache). In such c ases, the root cause may be diagnosed from these symptoms, and some other diagn ostic tests and treatment may be carried out.

Diseases of other organs

Any disorder in the organs like eyes, ears, nose ma y also lead to headache. Weak vision, where spectacles are needed but not us ed, may lead to headache. There is headache in case of cold-catarrh. The head hurts even if there is infection in the throat or any disorder in the ears. The patient has to be treated for those diseases to stop the headache.

Headaches can be caused by increased or decreased p ressure of blood or increased or decreased amount of blood glucose in t he body. These causes must be treated to avoid headache. These remedies are not d iscussed in this chapter.

Impairment in the blood vessels of the brain

There are billions of cells in the brain and they f unction relentlessly. These require plenty of supply of blood. The vessels supp lying blood to them lose their elasticity due to some reasons. This creates a hamm ering sensation in the brain.

Muscular Spasm

A spasm in the muscles of the skull, face and espec ially neck affects the blood supply to the brain and the result is headache. The cause of spasm is physical or mental stress. These muscles become stiff due to sp asm. Massaging them lightly may reduce these tensions. Relaxation works wonderfully on it.

The causes of headache discussed until now were rel ated to other organs and their disorders. The treatment was suggested in the ir respective chapters. The most significant and common causes of headache are migra ine and mental stress. Yoga has a positive effect on these, and hence we shall disc uss them now.

Migraine

Sometimes part of the head pains and the pain is in tense and sometimes unbearable. This headache recurs periodically. In s ome patients it starts in the morning, intensifies by noon and stops in the eveni ng. Sometimes it affects the functioning of the eyes; there is also vomiting at times. A swelling in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain may cause this headache. It may result from emotional stress on the nervous system. The symptom s comprise of bright spots or zigzag lines before the eyes, feeling of loss of en ergy in the hands and feet and even in the mouth. Later there is an intense headache fo llowed by vomiting. Intense light is unbearable. There is sweating. This trouble lasts f or hours. It lasts for days in the case of some patients. These attacks reappear frequently and the patient gradually becomes weak. The trouble may vary in various individuals. It is a trouble that does not respond to any therapy. Only yogic therapy works on it wonderfully.

Household Therapy

• Make pure ghee lukewarm and put 5-5 drops in each nostril.
• Eat garlic petals with salt during meals.
• Eat 1 teaspoon Triphala powder + pure ghee + sugar in the morning.

For migraine- eat coconut piece (not dry) + jagger y and Bhimseni camphor (natural or Borneo camphor) before sunrise. Take Gulvel (Tin ospora Cordifolia) powder 1 gm +hot milk thrice a day.

Naturopathy

• Keep mud plait/mud application on the head for 30 minutes.
• Cabbage steam 10 minutes twice a day.

Beneficial Diet Tips

• Raw food.
• Have meals before 12 noon and 7 pm.

Prohibited Diet

• Non-vegetarian food, hot, spicy, fried substances.
• Bakery products, Pulses- pigeon peas, Bengal gram, black gram.
• Tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolates.