Yet more warnings are afoot about the ravaging effects of stress on body and mind. This latest research was commissioned by the makers of Anadin and focuses, unsurprisingly, on headaches - specifically, on the role of stress in causing one of our most common physical complaints.
Over a third of Britons - equivalent to 20.3 million people - say the have more headaches than ever before, the findings say. Women are especially prone, with almost a third reporting to be plagued by stress headaches, compared to a quarter of men.
By and large, stress headaches are preventable. The press release that landed in my inbox about this research blithely urges consumers to reach for a 'combination treatment' - a heady (pun intended) cocktail of aspirin, paracetamol and caffeine.
I'm no doctor, but the knee-jerk response of grabbing the nearest quick-fix tablet is exactly what headache sufferers don't need.
Medication - even some headache tablets - can be addictive, short-termist and laced with side-effects. Recognising why and where stress headaches are occurring and taking some rounded steps to minimise the pain, is surely the only sensible option.
Yoga is one of the very best anti-stress, anti-headache remedies - plus it's free, long lasting, and doesn't come with the dubious multi-million pound stamp of the pharmaceutical industry.
Anyone with severe, regularly occurring headaches should see their doctor for advice (and make sure they don't just come away with a tablet).
But in general, headache sufferers should focus on strong on deep, slow breathing in their yoga, and remember to relax the eyes, jaw, tongue and forehead. Keep the neck long and soft, and use a bolster (lying down on it) to help open the chest and upper body.
The emphasis should be on a soft, breath-focused practice rather edges towards restorative rather than dynamic.
Equally importantly, integrating meditation into a practice - preferably at the end, for about 5 or 10 minutes - can help ease tension and de-stress.
Sometimes reaching for the nearest quick-fix is the last thing we need.
Lucia Cockcroft, editor
