bsirola Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I'm 52 years old and have been a ClusterHead since the age of 13 (jr high school). It wasnt until about 10 years ago that one doctor finally diagnose it correctly and told me it was cluster headaches. Anyways, my lady friend introduce me to yoga last month and showed me some streches that have help me tremendously with my CH attacks. 1st of all i think i've tried about 20 different medications and have found ZOMIG to be the best. But Zomig eliminates about 30 to 40 percent of the attacks. However when i combine the ZOMIG with a yoga stretch (explained below) i've aborted nearly 90 percent (6 out of 7) so far since i began a couple weeks ago.  Again, this is still in the, shall we say, "clinical trial" stage but the results are promising. Since no one has ever mentioned it before i thought i might be on to something. Here's my technique: The first thing i do when i have a "Shadow" is to take 5 to 7.5M of Zomig pills. Again, this works in about 30 to 40 percent of the attacks. Now, i lie on the bed (or sofa) and push the front half of my body up but with the legs still on the bed. In yoga this position is called "The Cobra Pose" - see link below. My arms are straight while pushing my head way back - PUSHING HARD and AS FAR BACK AS I CAN GO. I hold it there for as long as i can take it (1 minute or so) putting a lot of strain and presure on my neck and lower back. I really really really push hard, similar to lifting weights in the gym. After i cant take it anymore i stand-up and rest for about a minute catching my breath. I repeat this 3 more times. After the fourth time I rest for about 5 minutes. I generally find that the headache is undergoing or experiencing some sort of change. Not sure if its the lack of blood going to the brain, but definitly there is some changes going-on upstairs. After 5 miniutes I repeat the entire process (4 reps) one more time. After this i sit and within a few minutes the headaches are gone. I should note that often during the stretching the severity of the headache is reduce. I'm an epsoidic CH and i'm currently into my 7th week. They generally last no more than 9 weeks, but i will keep you posted. Byron of SoCal http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/printable-yoga-positions.html  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lieutenant2 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Geez, Brew. . .how very "other CH site" of you. : Bsirola, just some feedback. I've been practicing yoga for fitness purposes for a long time. And yes, you very may well be getting relief from yoga. I would suggest doing the cobra pose and other similar poses on a yoga mat or a carpeted floor, though. Doing that on a soft surface like a bed or sofa isn't exactly safe or effective. There are a couple others that may help, too. . .consider the vitrasara ("camel") and sarvangsana poses. Now, I'm not advocating yoga as any kind of CH "cure", but I will say that the combination of stretching, concentration, and relaxation will help put you in a better place, mentally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsirola Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 THe point i was making is that tilting your head way back and pressing it backwards as hard as you can and maintaining that position for a minute or 2 has help me tremdendously. You can call it yoga, stretching, peanut butter or whatever, the idea is to put a tremendous amount of strain on your neck while arching your back. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lieutenant2 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Not gonna get into a peeing contest with you, chief. Your post wasn't constructive, in my opinion. The guy finds some relief with yoga. So do I. Yeah, maybe he should try busting. . .but that wasn't the purpose of his thread. If you choose to, you can have my login and password. I can do without six people telling me to "shut up and get an oxygen tank" every time someone shares something new and different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lieutenant2 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 THe point i was making is that tilting your head way back and pressing it backwards as hard as you can and maintaining that position for a minute or 2 has help me tremdendously. You can call it yoga, stretching, peanut butter or whatever, the idea is to put a tremendous amount of strain on your neck while arching your back. good luck Oh. . .well, in that case, that ain't yoga. . .sounds like straining muscles and tendons in your neck and back. Putting "a tremendous amount of strain" on my neck is never one of my objectives in life. I guess I'm actually in agreement with Brew. . .maybe you should try busting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonkers Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Whatever floats your boat, guys. Bsirola spent the time to register and compose a post simply because he found something that provided relief for himself that he thought might help someone else. If he spends enough time here, he'll eventually hear about busting and about the dangers of using drugs like Zomig. Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to scare him off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brew Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Posts deleted because they were obviously grossly misinterpreted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potter Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Not gonna get into a peeing contest with you, chief. Your post wasn't constructive, in my opinion. The guy finds some relief with yoga. So do I. Yeah, maybe he should try busting. . .but that wasn't the purpose of his thread. If you choose to, you can have my login and password. I can do without six people telling me to "shut up and get an oxygen tank" every time someone shares something new and different. How bout an oxygen tank and yoga versus zomig and yoga. Potter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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