Hello,
My wife and I are 65 yrs old. We have suffered from occasional migraine headaches over the years. They start with blind spots and/or squiggly lines in the vision, some numbness in hands, lips, tongue, and then progress to the pain in the head.
In the seventies we were reading about some people who were using special boots with hooks on the bottom that allowed them to hang upside down from a chinning bar placed in their door jamb. They were people who had suffered from severe back pain due to deterioration in the spine. Hanging upside down allowed the spine to stretch and decrease the pain. One article mentioned that some people had experienced relief from migraine headache when in this position.
We don't know much about migraine but we wondered if at the outset of migraine when the blood supply is reduced from going to the brain that results in the vision impairment, numbness, etc. that if an increase in hydraulic blood pressure could reverse the process?
So the next time one of us experienced the onset of the migraine aura, we immediately got down on the floor with our butts up against the sofa. We would elevate the legs with a number of cushions so that the blood would be putting pressure on the back of the neck to push thru the constricted blood vessels.
Imagine, after laying down like this for 40-60 minutes, the headache would not come. The vision impairments would disappear. We could get up and resume the day. There would still be a feeling of pressure behind the eyes and you would have the tiredness that one has after migraine but to a much reduced degree.
We also have discovered, after a number of years of trying this procedure, that one must get down with the legs up within the first 15 minutes. If this is not done in the first stage of migraine, the process continues and the headache comes even if the person is lying down with legs elevated.
I have had an attack while shopping and I go into a dressing room and lie down with my legs up on the bench.
The attendant is scared and wants to call emergency but I assure them I will be up in 45 minutes. If we are in the car, I can get in the back seat, hang my head off the seat with my legs up on the back shelf. It works for both my wife and me.
I was a teacher of the Bible in Kenya with a class of 500 men one time and in the opening session experienced blindness in my vision. I asked my substitute to take over for me while the men were in their discussion groups. I went into a back room, lay down with my feet up on the storage cabinet, and 40 minutes later was able to get up and do the 'lecture' at the appointed time for the men. Yes, I prayed and God granted relief.
We have been using this technique for 30-35 years with 100% success rate. I am not suggesting that everyone else will benefit as we have. I think there are a variety of migraine processes that result in headache. Perhaps this technique is one of many but I wanted to share it with you.
Regards,
duma