Which Audios Will Help a 12-Year-Old with Chronic Headaches?
Dear BR,
What CDs would you suggest for a 12-year-old, young woman with chronic daily headache, NON migraine type? She is NOT an "anxious" or "high strung" young lady. She is very bright & musically very talented. She has had a complete and thorough neuro workup, and is currently on a medication regimen. On better days, the best case is a constant, low level headache. The flare-ups can last 6-8 wks. w/ intense, disabling pain.
Megan
Dear Megan,
Our Headache imagery is for both neuromuscular or migraine type headaches - most experts believe that any kind of headache is a combination of the two kinds, to varying degrees. There is also imagery in there that is designed to help with toxic or allergic causes of headache as well. (And, by the way, has she been checked for food allergies or other kinds of chemical sensitivities??) In this two part audio, one part is for preventing headaches before they start, and the other is for listening during a headache. Since she seems to have one all the time, I guess the second one will be the one she uses.
Focused relaxation, all by itself, will tend to open constricted blood vessels and offer some relief, and imagery is focused relaxation and more. In addition, imagery that upregulates serotonin will reduce pain too, and this imagery does that. So I'd definitely have her give it a try.
We get wonderful feedback about the positive effects of this imagery on headache all the time, and a 12 yr old especially is at an ideal age to respond intensely to this technique - early adolescents are awash in hormone soup, and this state of affairs contributes nicely to their being able to respond quickly and deeply to the altered state. In other words, teenagers are in a trance most of the time anyway, so they might as well put it to work for their own benefit!
If it turns out she responds well and enjoys using the imagery, she would probably benefit from Carol Ginandes’ new TMJ audio, which uses skillful hypnosis techniques to relax the head and neck and reduce discomfort.
You might also want to consider Dr. Jean-Luc Mommaerts' Headache hypnosis CDs for her, if she wants more variety and to keep her from getting bored with the same thing after weeks and weeks of listening. (He has a Dutch accent, just so you know. Most people don't notice it after the first paragraph or so.)
In addition, you may want to encourage her to get tested for allergies - either the traditional route or through muscle testing. And my final thought is, best case scenario: this may all disappear after her hormones settle into some sort of pattern.. I do wonder if all this started when she hit the onset of puberty.
Hope this helps.
All Best,
Belleruth
