The Headache Healer’s Handbook. Jan Mundo

of months of learning and practicing the Mundo Program, things began to change. Not only did the headaches reduce in intensity and frequency, but my sleep patterns were better, stress levels were down, and physically I became much more comfortable in my body.

      By the end of the program, I had learned how to stop a headache before it escalated, deal with it when I had one, and bounce back faster after it was over. The breathing, relaxation, and diet changes, along with applying Mundo Method therapy when necessary, have almost eliminated the migraines altogether.

      I also have the added bonus of approaching my entire life in a different way. This change in my typical reaction to situations has been noted by relatives, friends, and coworkers. After over thirty years of struggle, I feel as if I have found a new lease on life.

       It’s Time!

      Headache pain does not have to be the defining narrative of your life. You can create a different story, in which you are not the victim. You can overcome obstacles, learn lessons from them, and move on to fulfill your true life purpose.

      As incredible as it might sound to you right now, you have the capacity to conquer your cycles of pain. It is possible to have a direct experience with your body that is pleasurable instead of painful. That is where we are headed together — and your intention, awareness, mind-body practices, healthy diet, powers of touch, and sensible choices will take you there.

      Are you ready to take that journey from pain to vibrant health, guided by The Headache Healer’s Handbook? Let’s begin!

       Part One

       Entering In

       1 Putting Relief in Your Hands

      Do you remember your last severe migraine? If so, you would probably rather forget it if you could. If you’ve ever had one, then you know migraine’s devastating, all-consuming misery. More than just pain, it puts you under its spell, possesses your entire being, and renders you a blob on the bed, unable to form a thought. All you can do is stay still and hope to quell the nausea and pounding — BA BOOM, BA BOOM, BA BOOM — that goes on and on, sometimes for days, even weeks.

      Stumbling to the bathroom to find your rescue medication and hoping you don’t throw up, you catch your face in the mirror and barely recognize yourself. As you make your way back to bed, you pray that the pill will stay down and take effect. Fear creeps in. Last time when the pain was this bad, you went to the emergency room for a shot of Demerol. You wonder if you should call your doctor now or suffer through it and wait until your next appointment?

      What if there was another way — a completely different option? Imagine that you wake up with a splitting headache and give yourself a hands-on treatment that completely relieves your pain, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms. In an hour or two, instead of days, your headache is gone, and your body recalibrates: your equilibrium returns, your face regains its color, and your eyes can tolerate the light. The jangling sounds and sickening odors that overwhelmed you just moments before have receded into the background.

      Inhale. Exhale. Ah-h-h. You finally take a deep breath and let it go. You feel fine, your appetite returns, and you have a bite to eat. Soon everything is back to normal. You resume your day, and it’s as if the migraine never happened. That night you sleep well, and you awake refreshed in the morning.

      Can you imagine what it would be like to have that power over your headache or migraine pain? Or better yet: What if you could prevent your pain to begin with — and without medication or side effects? How would your life be different?

       You’re Not Alone

      In the midst of a migraine, you might feel very alone — but you’re not. Headaches are second only to back pain as the most common condition presented to doctors, and one in four U.S. households has a headache sufferer.¹

      Annually, an estimated 37 million people in the United States get migraines. Between one-half and two-thirds, or about 21 million, are women.² This disabling condition renders this population bedridden for 112 million days per year, which takes its toll on the business world too, costing companies $13 billion annually, $8 billion of which is attributed to missed workdays.³ Adolescents and children are not immune either: Up to 10 percent of kids and teens, ages five to fifteen, and 28 percent of older teens, ages fifteen to nineteen, cope with migraine as one of their five most prevalent chronic conditions.⁴

      Despite billions of healthcare dollars spent on medications and research, the exact causes of and solutions for migraine remain a mystery — and patients continue to suffer. Theories of pain, the brain, migraine causes, and who gets them and why have been studied, discussed, accepted, and rejected by clinicians, scientists, and researchers for the past century. They have examined blood flow, arterial and nerve inflammation, neurotransmitter activity, genetics, and more, but although science is certainly getting closer, no definitive mechanism has yet been found.

      Doctors, books, and multiple online sources tell patients that migraines are forever and simply can’t be cured, rendering famous the unnerving admonition: “You’ll just have to learn to live with it.” It seems unbelievable. Who wants to think they will always be in pain?

      Not satisfied with sitting around, headache patients set out to find solutions. They seek help from neurologists, psychologists, and a variety of other specialists, who usually prescribe several medications to manage the pain and other symptoms — and even the primary medications’ side effects. After much trial and error, they might seem to be doing better, but then the medications cease working, and so they begin their search for help again. Patients change therapies and doctors, add new specialists, and try complementary approaches, yet still they suffer.

      Suzette, vice president of worldwide marketing for a high-tech company, had suffered from excruciating migraines since she was five years old. Through thirty years of dealing with pain, she had been “misdiagnosed, mismanaged, and misunderstood by traditional doctors, chiropractors, and alternative therapists.” Hers was not the occasional headache that goes away with a couple of aspirin: she experienced the overwhelming combination of pain, nausea, and sensitivity to smells and light that is typical for migraine sufferers. Her search for relief was also typical:

      I had learned everything I could that science and medicine have uncovered about the diagnosis, treatment, and medications for migraine. My treatment over the years included almost every type of preventive medication and pain reliever, from beta-blockers, epilepsy drugs, narcotic painkillers, and muscle relaxants to herbal remedies, supplements, and anti-nausea medication. I tried eliminating trigger foods, stressful situations, and schedule changes. In the last ten years, I was able to find one drug that worked well in stopping a headache if it was injected at the first sign of pain. Unfortunately, I knew my time was limited in using the drug because of its rebound qualities, and I wondered about possible effects on my heart as I grew older.

      Suzette’s story — of pain, frustration, and a remedy that complicates the original problem — is echoed by millions, and for many, a downward spiral of despair takes hold.

       The Healing Challenge

      Fortunately, that’s right where The Headache Healer’s Handbook comes in. This book walks you through the Mundo Program of mind-body therapies and practices to help you identify, reduce, and eliminate the causes of your headaches — and improve your overall health. It isn’t magic; it’s cause and effect: you make changes and get a new result.

      By uncovering the clues in your daily life and understanding how they relate to your headaches, individually and in combination, you can crack the case like a detective. You will be successful if you are aware, thorough, and take each step slowly — and if you are willing to take new actions and shift old habits. After all, even a pill won’t work if you