The Benefits of Dog Ownership
One participant noted that her dog became frantic leading up to her attack, displaying uncharacteristic behaviors of restlessness every 15 minutes before her migraine started. Another participant shared that her dog would wake her up in the middle of the night by persistently licking her face on days she would have a migraine episode. She now takes this cue from her dog as an alerting signal and takes medication before migraine symptoms begin.
Reducing Stress
In addition to possibly helping to detect an imminent migraine, dogs can also help with long-term prevention.
Stress is one of the most well known causes of migraines. Shock, anxiety, panic attacks, worry, and fear are all forms of stress that can trigger a migraine episode. According to experts, high levels of stress can cause your brain to release chemicals that cause a migraine attack to occur.
Studies have shown that animals can reduce tension and improve mood, thereby increasing levels of the stress-reducing hormone, oxytocin, and decreasing production of the stress hormone, cortisol.
Petting your dog for just 10 minutes at a time, multiple times throughout the day, is all you need to reap the rewards. Plus, Fido will be a pretty happy guy, too!
Getting Exercise
Another benefit of dog ownership comes in the form of your pup’s daily walk. Migraines have a fairly love-hate relationship with exercise. While regular but gentle exercise can significantly reduce migraine attacks, intense or sporadic exercise can actually trigger migraines. Taking your dog on his daily walk is a great way to get consistent exercise without overdoing it and triggering a migraine attack, all while reducing stress and promoting relaxation. It’s a win-win for the both of you!
If you do decide to participate in something a bit more physical, such as running at the dog park or going for a jog, be sure to warm up beforehand and start slowly if you’re new to physical activity.
Consistency is key when dealing with migraines and exercise, so be sure to take advantage of your dog’s insatiable enthusiasm and go on one walk in the morning and one in the evening. Your migraine symptoms will become less frequent and your pup will thank you.
