Dr. Wright’s Circulatory Technique

I am not sure what mechanism is triggered by this but whatever it is, it at least indirectly helps kill the pain. This technique has nothing to do with meditation, relaxation, or psychic ability. It is entirely physical and takes some work. It involves concentrating on trying to redirect a little circulation to the arms, hands, or legs. I thought it worked best with my left arm. Increased circulation to this area will result in a reddening and warming of the hands. As silly as it sounds, try to think of it as filling your hand with redirected circulation. The important part is that it has to be done without interruption until it works. Do not give up in frustration. It may not work on the first try. Sometimes it can work quicky but it almost always worked after a time. Try experimenting between attacks. You will find that it gets easier with practice.

I was given less than five minutes instruction in the use of this method. The doctor, while placing his arm on his desk, showed me that he could slightly increase his arm and hand circulation. After several attempts, I was able to repeat this procedure and use it successfully. I had about a 75% success rate shortening these attacks. My 20 minute hits were often reduced to 10 minutes or less. Once proven that I had a chance to deal with this horror, I always gave it a try as I had nothing to lose but pain.

I used to try to imagine I was pushing blood away from my head into my arm. Use your imagination. There is one man who wrote that his standing barefoot on a concrete floor shortened his attacks. This draws some circulation away from the head and sounds good to me. Cold water, exercise, or anything affecting circulation, seems to be worth a try. My suggestion is to not let up immediately when the pain goes. Waiting a minute is probably a good idea.

This technique is very useful while waiting for medication to take effect or when none is available. It costs nothing, is non-invasive, and can be used just about anywhere. It is not a miracle but it helped me deal with this horror. It can be a bit exhausting but the success rate was good enough for me and a cluster headache sufferer will do just about anything to end the pain. It's important to know that this has nothing to do with psychic ability or meditation. It's physical.

I hope this technique is helpful and I wish you the best of luck.

Charlie