Leslie’s Migraine Success Story

In keeping with Leslie’s wishes we are not going to use any photographs of her in this blog post. We are always happy to respect our contributors’ wishes for privacy. We are very grateful for Leslie’s generosity in sharing her personal posture journey, and are sure that you, our readers, will appreciate it too.

—Esther Gokhale

The Gokhale Method® has given me my life back from daily pain. I had two head injuries as a child and started having headaches in third grade. They turned into full migraines in my twenties that got progressively worse until I was in pain daily and in a constant cycle of migraines by my forties. The pain was intense, traveling from my neck to the inside of my shoulder blade and from my temple into my eye.

The causes of migraines are varied and affect people differently. Common triggers are flickering or flashing light, foods, and concussion. For me, as a music teacher, trying to teach with the loudness of young children singing, playing instruments, plus the bright light of a projector, made my migraine symptoms much worse, and I thought I would have to quit my job.

Caught in a cycle of migraine headaches, I found teaching music to young children was not sustainable. 

Sleeping was often excruciating; I slept upright many nights a week for several years to avoid migraine symptoms. I had daily pain, with a full migraine headache about once a week. This could be intense and last for days, with debilitating fatigue, dizziness, visual disturbances, nausea, and vomiting. I missed weddings and other important events. I spent a lot of time in bed recuperating and was worried about my future. I assumed things would only continue to get worse and that I might have to have neck surgery one day.

There are many delicate and vital structures within the neck (front view). Undue pressure and distortions on the nerves can cause or contribute to migraines. Wikipedia

I suffered this way for 14 years. I had tried: MRIs, X-rays, trigger point injections, regular and upper cervical chiropractic adjustments, myofascial massage, pain patches and gels, acupuncture, physical therapy, exercise programs (Egoscue Method®) over-the-counter medications, prescribed nerve blocking medication, prescribed migraine medications, anti-inflammatory diets, spine specialist consults, a TENS unit and countless massages, infrared heating pads, and cervical pillows. Nothing changed my life.

I remained tenacious in looking for something to help. After finding Esther’s book and watching all the Gokhale Method videos on YouTube, I felt I needed a coach to really get the nuances of the work. I took the Gokhale® Elements online course. 

My progress since taking the Elements course has been amazing! I haven’t had a full-blown migraine and haven’t missed any work since I started the Gokhale Method. I’ve been practicing the Gokhale Method for several years, so this is not a flash in the pan. I sleep soundly now, stretchlying the entire night. 

Keeping up with Gokhale Fitness has been absolutely essential and will be an ongoing part of my self-care. Before, any exercise used to cause pain. Even carrying groceries, blow-drying my hair, putting dishes away, or taking a walk would cause a debilitating flare. When I started the Gokhale Active program I could only use cans of soup for “weights” and sometimes no weights at all. I now exercise pain free, doing Gokhale strength/weight training three times a week in steadily increasing intensity with my own set of weights at home (I still cannot believe that I can lift weights above my head pain free!) I walk 20 miles a week, and I play pickleball. 

Initially the impact aspect of pickleball provoked headaches, but I found that getting stronger with my inner corset and tall neck has enabled me to play numerous times per week without recourse to pain meds. Being patient and building my neck strength in gradual baby steps has definitely paid dividends. As a musician, I do understand the value of regular practice and rehearsal!

Lifting weight above the head and carrying weight on the head is a traditional and healthy activity when the neck has length, strength, and is well aligned.

I occasionally have mild pain due to waking up in a weird sleeping position or from sitting for too long, and I might need to take half of an Advil to calm down the nerves in my neck. Before, I used to take eight Advil tablets regularly throughout the day just to be at work, and I still felt very ill. I still find long car, plane, and bike rides challenging, and am working towards making such journeys comfortable.

At those times I remind myself how upright sitting used to be excruciating. I left dinners out with friends numerous times because I couldn’t sit any longer. However, using the Gokhale Method technique of stacksitting, with a strategically placed pillow to angle my pelvis forward in anteversion, has made going to leisurely long dinners possible once again. 

In summary, I would say I’ve got my life back and that this is a new phase in my life! I am forever grateful to Esther and her team for sharing these tools that have given me the power to transform my health. 

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