Migraine pains sound terrible, especially for the ones who suffer from it. Severe headaches along with nausea or sensitivity to the external world make a usual day unbearable. It is well known that traditional methods include medication and lifestyle changes, but what if a psychotherapy technique like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) could ease migraine pains? Initially developed for trauma, EMDR is now being investigated as a potential treatment for migraines. This blog delves into the intriguing possibility of EMDR on migraines.
What is Migraine?
Migraine is a chronic headache that causes throbbing pain and pulsing sensations, often accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light and sound as well as visual disturbances. According to the World Health Organization, up to 5% of adults report having headaches almost every day (WHO, 2004). Triggers include stress, hormones, lifestyle habits, and environmental factors. Thus, given these causes, we can conclude that migraines require a multifaceted treatment approach.
Does EMDR Help to Ease Migraine Pains?
A condition that is painful and common is treated with medications most of the time. Though they come in handy, it is questionable whether pharmacological treatments are sustainable over time or not. Given the triggers above, stress being the leading cause, alternative treatments are also explored to ease migraine pains.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an integrative approach to psychotherapy. Even though, it was initially created to reduce the symptoms of traumatic memories, EMDR therapy is not only limited to trauma-related conditions (Shapiro, 2001). Chronic pains, phobias, eating disorders, anxiety disorders and many more conditions also can be treated with EMDR. A pilot study conducted in Istanbul investigated the effectiveness of EMDR on migraine pains without a physical cause. Participants recorded daily ratings of headache frequency, intensity, and duration as well as use of painkillers and ER visits. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in headache frequency (Figure 1) and duration, painkiller intake, and ER visits, though intensity remained unchanged. The results indicated the effectiveness of EMDR on migraine pains, offering a promising solution.
Another study in Tehran, again, evaluated the effectiveness of EMDR on anxiety sensitivity in women with migraines (Mehrmanesh et al., 2023), as the burden of migraine is higher for women (Konuk et al., 2011). Just like the previous study, this study also showed that EMDR significantly reduced anxiety sensitivity, proving that it can be an effective treatment to ease psychologically caused migraine pains.
To conclude, EMDR offers a promising alternative for people who suffer from migraines, particularly those whose headaches are caused by psychological factors. Studies in Istanbul and Tehran prove its effectiveness on migraine pains as well. Therefore, as the research shows, integrating EMDR into clinical practice potentially enhances treatment outcomes and improves quality of life, encouraging an alternative to traditional treatments.
References
Konuk, E., Epozdemir, H., Hacıomeroglu Atçeken, S., Aydın, Y.E., & Yurtsever, A. (2011). EMDR Treatment of Migraine. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 5(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.5.4.166
Mehrmanesh, E., Hafezi, F., Ehteshamzadeh, P., & Bakhtiarpour, S. (2023). Comparing the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback and EMDR on anxiety sensitivity in women with migraine. Journal of Personality and Pyschosomatic Research, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jppr.1.1.3
Shapiro, F. (2001). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
World Health Organization. (2004). Head disorders (Fact Sheet No. 277). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/ mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/
