Abstract

PIRTHIRAJ, Ashalya  and  BHAGWAN, Raisuyah. The psychosocial impact of migraines on women and alternative therapies for migraine management. Health SA Gesondheid (Online) [online]. 2023, vol.28, pp.1-11. ISSN 2071-9736.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v28i0.2249.

BACKGROUND: Migraines are one of the leading causes of disability globally and in South Africa. There is a paucity of local empirical literature regarding the psychosocial impact of migraines on women. Although there are a variety of treatment approaches, many women prefer alternative and holistic treatment for their migraines. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the psychosocial impact of migraines on women and their use of complementary and alternative therapies for migraine pain management. SETTING: The study was conducted in the eThekwini region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. METHODS: The study adopted a qualitative descriptive design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants for the study. Data were collected through 12 semi-structured interviews and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Theme 1 related to the psychological and cognitive effects experienced by the participants. Theme 2 focused on the effects migraines had on personal, family and social relationships. Theme 3 discussed the self-management of migraines. CONCLUSION: The pertinent psychological effects of migraines were depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness and withdrawal, fear-avoidance behaviour, lifestyle changes, and acceptance of migraines. The participants experienced a lack of understanding about their migraine severity from co-workers, family and social networks. The alternative therapies that were sought to alleviate migraine symptoms included chiropractic, massage, meditation, reflexology, yoga, cupping and acupuncture. CONTRIBUTION: The awareness of the effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies for women may be beneficial for healthcare providers seeking a multidisciplinary approach to migraine management.

Keywords : migraines; female migraineurs; psychological impact; social impact; psychosocial factors; chiropractic; complementary therapies; alternative therapies.

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