Stress as a trigger for headaches: Relationship between exposure and sensitivity

Summary & key facts

This Healthline article explains a body-based method called shaking therapy (also called TRE or neurogenic tremoring). It says some experts believe gentle shaking can help the nervous system release tension and calm stress. The article gives simple ways to try it, notes possible benefits people report, and also clearly says scientific evidence is still limited and people with injuries or serious trauma should be careful or get support.

Key facts:

• Shaking therapy is also called therapeutic or neurogenic tremoring and TRE; the term “neurogenic tremoring” was coined by David Berceli, PhD.
• The article says shaking may release muscular tension, burn excess adrenaline, and help calm an overstimulated autonomic nervous system, based on expert views and clinical ideas such as Peter Levine’s somatic experiencing.
• For people new to shaking, the article quotes an expert who recommends starting with 10–30 seconds and, when comfortable, building up to about 30 seconds to 2 minutes once or twice a day.
• Shaking exercises can be done seated or standing and can focus on parts of the body (arms, legs, hips, whole body), according to the article’s descriptions and examples.
• The article lists possible benefits people report, including lessened anxiety and depression symptoms, improved mood, and effects on blood pressure and immune function, but it also states that scientific evidence for shaking therapy is stil
• The article warns that shaking can release strong emotions. It recommends caution for people with physical injuries and suggests bringing a clinician or a trusted person if someone has severe trauma.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between length of exposure to a stressor and capacity of the stressor to elicit head pain. Some 127 participants, 93 of whom suffered from regular headaches, were randomly assigned to five experimental conditions, defined by length of exposure to a stressor. Participants attended a single laboratory session divided into three phases: pre-intervention test, intervention and post-intervention test. The main finding was a significant cubic trend between length of exposure to the stressor and ratings of head pain. This trend indicated that very short exposure to the stressor increased sensitivity, whilst longer exposure decreased sensitivity, but even longer exposure increased sensitivity. These results build on earlier studies that suggest the traditional clinical advice to headache sufferers, that the best way to prevent headaches is to avoid the triggers, runs the risk of establishing an insidious sensitization process, thereby increasing headache frequency.

Topics

Migraine and Headache Studies Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Psychiatry and Mental health

Tags

Clinical psychology Headaches Immunology Intervention (counseling) Medicine Psychiatry Psychology Sensitization Stressor