Asthma and diabetes are common conditions among Americans. But even more common than both of those combined are Americans that suffer from migraines. It is said that over 35 million people suffer from them with episodes that rate from moderate to severe. Any pain management clinic has a list of patients that they are treating for this condition.
Migraines put a person in moderate to severe pain episodes that leave them sensitive to light, smells, and sound. There are medications that provide abortive and preventative measures, but more and more patients are seeking non-medicated ways to handle those episodes.
The pain specialists on staff at every pain management clinic strive to find and learn integrative approaches to help their patients better, including non-medicinal ways. One way that is 5,000 years old has resurfaced in many areas of the country that is growing in popularity.
The science of Ayurveda, it offers a unique framework that allows those specialists to offer a non-pharmaceutical approach that is more systematic to treat pain.
What Is The Premise Of This Ancient Science?
The basic premise is that each person is comprised of 5 natural elements:
• Air
• Earth
• Fire
• Space
• Water
It is from these elements that our physiological state is created and they dictate how our mind functions. The quality of these 5 elements should be considered by the patient and the pain clinic management staff when trying to understand how these elements are retained when it comes to our physiological constitution.
Some people have a constitution that contains more of the elements air and space from the moment they are born. This creates what is known as a Vata Dosha, or Dosah for short and is the mind-body.
Some people have a constitution that contains fire and water elements. This is called a Pitta Dosha type. Then others have the elements of earth and water, creating a Kapha Dosha type.
A person’s dosha is what they have at birth, and some people have combinations like Pitta-Kapa or Vata-Pitta or Pitta-Kapha. When you live a life that is balanced with nature, the pain will not exist.
How Does this Address Migraines?
To balance your body and not have migraines, eating to fit your Dosha Type is important. And this is where a pain management clinic staff dietician can help. You need to evaluate your diet then add the foods and spices that will balance your digestion and that in turn will balance your mind.
With Ayurvedic style cooking, foods are frequently used to ease any neurological imbalances among the 3 Doshas, which reduce the migraines. Idyllically, all meals cooked the Ayurvedic style should contain these 5 tastes in order to have a good digestion:
• Astringent
• Pungent
• Salty
• Sour
• Sweet
On the other hand, the specific tastes that each of us needs to focus on are different because of what can aggravate or pacify our Dosha Type. Regardless what Dosha one has, it is important that each individual listen to their body and sometimes eating a certain food can increase the causes of bloating or discomfort.
Once you have determined these things,with the help of a pain management clinic staff dietician, discontinued those foods so that you can keep your Dosha type balanced. It can often be a trial-and-error process as you keep a diary of your food intake and the results you experienced afterward.
It won’t be a quick assessment and will take patience and perseverance to get the combinations right, keeping in mind, no two people have the same Dosha type and those who do will still have differences within them.
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