(EMDR) Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy

Hi Nancy,

There is some conversation about this as an complementary therapy for migraine, but I don't have any experience with it.

Maybe some other members will be along shortly and lend you their experiences.

Nancy

Nancy,
The goal of EMDR is to help patients who have experienced trauma to deal with unresolved issues surrounding that experience. Most of the research on this technique has been done with patients who have some form of PTSD. Through using this technique, many patients are able to better cope with the lingering effects of their trauma. EMDR should also be conducted by a trained psychiatrist or psychologist.

I personally have used EMDR to help with a specific traumatic experience I suffered about 6 years ago. I had an extremely hard time talking about it and also found it difficult to remember some of the details. EMDR helped me.

I have come across some studies about the use of EMDR for Migraine patients but there hasn't been a great wealth of research on this topic. Some people do believe that serious stress or traumatic events can cause or exacerbate Migraines. If you feel that this applies to you, maybe EMDR would be helpful for you to explore. However, it just doesn't seem like there is a great emphasis in the mental health community on using it to specifically treat Migraines without there being a tie to a traumatic event.

If you do persue EMDR, just make sure you are using a trained professional who you trust and understands what your goals and objectives are.

Hi Katie,

Thanks so much for the info. Your information is very helpful to me. The EMDR "event" that my neighbor has invited me to is for continuing education training so I'm not very comfortable with it. You are correct, this should be done by a trained professional. The information that I have found through research also points to a specific trauma which can be helped by EMDR. I have no history of anything traumatic so I'm thinking this may not be the treatment for me.

Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it!

Nancy

I went to see my Primary Care Doc and she mentioned this to me. I actually do have some traumatic stuff from my past, so this may be an option for me. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences.