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Scott's Story - Exercise induced Migraines

Hi,

I am a 29yo male who has suffers with exercise (exertion) induced migraines. I have suffered from my early teens and it started after playing games of football and slowly got worse the older I have got.

I have tried several different types of medication and have had MRI scans but nothing has worked for me. For the last 5 years I have been unable to go for a 10 minute run without spending the next two days in bed.

It finally got to the point for me to stop taking daily medication when my son was conceived, I wasn't happy with the side effects of Propranolol and decided that its easier to give up on exercise and stop the medication than to continue. For the next 3 years I had no medication and no exercise, which for a previously active person was tough.

This brings me to the last 5 months. 3 years out with no exercise, excess weight gained and generally not very good fitness levels. I joined a gym at work and started a fitness program for myself, nothing strenuous but some good building blocks. I found that swimming was a really good way for me to exercise without putting too much stress on my body and I never suffered a migraine after. I started a yoga class at the gym (Ashtanga) which really helped me distress mentally and physically (I highly recommend, the stretching and breathing greatly helped me). I then slowly started to incorporate a weights regime, starting low and slow and for most of the time I didn't get a migraine (if I pushed too hard, it hit me like a train).

I managed to find a balance, still now I am unable to run which is upsetting as its the only thing I cannot do as yet. I have just started seeing a chiropractor (2 sessions in) and my back, shoulders and neck are extremely tight which may be a big contributing factor ( I will update after more sessions).

I am happy, healthier than I have been in a good few years and glad that I have found this balance. Its still not easy and I always have to have dissolvable paracetomol on hand but its a start.

Thank you for reading
Scott

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