The Science of Getting Better.
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Harley Street · London
Migraines
Migraines & Recurring Headaches.
The trigger may not be the whole story.
Stress. Wine. Chocolate. Hormones. Poor sleep. Bright light. Missing a meal. Dehydration.
People with migraines often become extraordinarily good at identifying what seems to trigger an attack.
But there is an interesting problem.
The same trigger does not always produce a migraine.
Sometimes you can miss lunch and be fine. Another day, the same thing is enough to tip you into an attack.
Perhaps the more useful question is not only "What triggered this migraine?" but "Why was my threshold lower that day?"
THE MIGRAINE THRESHOLD
Sometimes it is the combination that matters.
Migraine is a neurological disorder, not simply a bad headache.
An attack may emerge when several influences converge.
Perhaps you slept badly. You are approaching your period. Work has been unusually stressful. You have eaten irregularly. Then you have the glass of wine that appears to "cause" the migraine.
The wine may have contributed.
But viewed in isolation, it may not explain why an attack occurred on that occasion and not another.
The final trigger can be easier to see than everything that lowered the threshold before it.
YOUR PATTERN
Migraine patterns can contain useful clues.
When did your migraines begin?
How often do they occur? Do they cluster around your menstrual cycle? Did they change during pregnancy, perimenopause, or menopause? Are they more likely after disrupted sleep, skipped meals, travel, stress, or particular foods?
What happens before the pain begins?
What happens afterwards?
And what else was changing in your health when the migraines first appeared?
The Sona Method looks at the chronology and the relationships between these factors rather than treating every attack as an isolated event.
A migraine diary is most useful when it looks for patterns, not just prohibited foods.
MORE THAN A HEADACHE
Migraine can involve much more than pain.
Migraine can involve nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, visual or sensory disturbances, dizziness, fatigue, cognitive changes, and other neurological symptoms.
Some people experience aura. Others do not.
Some notice changes hours before the headache itself begins — alterations in mood, energy, concentration, appetite, or other symptoms.
These features matter because they reinforce an important point:
Migraine is a neurological event involving the whole person, not simply pain located in the head.
LOOKING AT THE WIDER PICTURE
What influences your migraine threshold?
Depending on the individual, relevant factors may include sleep, hormonal changes, meal timing, hydration, stress, medications, caffeine, alcohol, nutritional status, other medical conditions, and established migraine triggers.
Not every factor matters in every person.
The purpose is not to produce the longest possible list of things to avoid.
It is to identify the factors that appear to matter most in your particular pattern.
A life organised around avoiding everything is not the same as becoming more resilient.
BEYOND TRIGGER AVOIDANCE
The goal is not to make your world progressively smaller.
When migraines are frequent, it is understandable to become cautious.
Foods disappear. Social occasions become complicated. Travel feels risky. Exercise may be avoided. Every unusual sensation becomes a warning that another attack is coming.
Avoiding a clearly established trigger can be sensible.
But The Sona Method also asks whether there are modifiable factors that may help reduce the circumstances in which an attack becomes more likely.
The aim is not perfect control. It is greater capacity and fewer reasons for your life to revolve around migraine.
WORKING ALONGSIDE MEDICAL CARE
Migraine deserves appropriate medical treatment.
The Sona Method does not replace neurological or medical assessment, diagnosis, or migraine treatment.
Effective acute and preventive migraine treatments are available and may be important.
Sona's role is complementary: examining the wider health picture and identifying factors that may be relevant to an individual's migraine pattern alongside appropriate conventional care.
New, severe, rapidly changing, or unusual headaches require appropriate medical assessment.
MIGRAINE SUPPORT ON HARLEY STREET, LONDON
When recurring migraines deserve a wider look.
Sona works with adults and children with chronic and complex health concerns from her practice on Harley Street in London, as well as with patients internationally.
The Sona Method may be particularly appropriate when migraines are recurrent, appear to be influenced by several different factors, have changed alongside hormones or other aspects of health, or occur as part of a more complex collection of symptoms.
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Discuss Your Case
If recurring migraines are affecting your life and you would like to explore the wider factors that may be influencing your pattern, get in touch to discuss whether The Sona Method is appropriate for you.