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I've been getting a number of questions recently about migraine and if acupuncture treatment is successful. In my experience in the Boston area, I can say that while the patient is willing to participate fully in the treatment plan developed by the acupuncturist, I have seen very promising results for patients with migraine using acupuncture. The results are either anecdotal, there are studies supporting the use of acupuncture for migraines as one published in the British Medical Journal that a decrease in the frequency of the attacks, among other things. Before getting into the role of acupuncture in all this, I take a moment to talk about the staggering statistics of the physiological and migraines.
Headaches in general are a problem in the United States with up to 78% of Americans suffer from recurring headaches at some point in their lives. They can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary headaches such as migraine, cluster, tension or depression are headaches due to a dysfunction in the central nervous system. Secondary headaches are caused by a problem outside the nervous system, which then cause the symptoms of headache, such as hypertension, kidney or liver disease, the flu or ATM to name a few.
Migraine headaches with or without aura, tend to attack the females by a ratio of 3:1, and more than 20% of adult women suffer from them. The diagnosis is usually made based on the location, frequency, duration and characteristics of pain the patient as well as a personal or family history of headaches since 90% of migraine sufferers have a family history of them.
The basic science behind migraine is that there is a rapid vasodilation, or the opening of the blood vessels in the head that wears the typical throbbing migraine. There has been some involvement of serotonin in the process that explains the use of a class of medications called SSRIs, including Prozac, to treat the onset of headaches. The drug regimen is typical dependence of NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or even often this only reduces the pain without having to deal with the cause and recurrence of migraine.
The experience of each person with migraine is different. Some have a strong visual aura, which includes zigzag lines or tunnel vision before an attack, while others are more sensitive to certain smells. Pain relief can be found in a dark room, quiet and only the following dream. Attacks can occur during a day of work after sitting at a computer for a long time or even more worrying, just before the weekend, when the stress of the workweek suddenly rises. So what can you do to help reduce the frequency, duration and pain of a migraine? Here are 3 simple tips to help you!
1) Migraine headaches are often caused by environmental factors such as meats containing nitrates, chocolate, alcohol, flashing lights, rapid air pressure or temperature changes to name a few. Many women find that their migraines are related to their menstrual cycle and hormonal changes that occur during each stage of the cycle. By the newspaper and identify possible causes of migraine, you can take control of their environment and avoid or at least be aware of the possibility of a migraine attack in the future. Oriental medicine is based on information gathered during a migraine, so the more detailed information may be shared with your doctor, such as the nature, location and duration of pain, and what you have seen, smelled or experienced during an attack, easier for them to correctly diagnose the underlying problem.
2) When an attack occurs, you can try some simple acupressure techniques to reduce pain. Often, the pressure of the times in the acupuncture points around the base of the skull, such as the gallbladder 20, bladder or gall bladder 10 12 are useful. Other spots around the neck, such as the gallbladder 21 in the trapezius muscle can also help. Acupuncturists often use the points around the large intestine 4 hands or feet as the liver 1, 2 or 3 to decrease pain in the head. If you prefer hard or soft pressure or movement to the right or left depends on whether the pain subsides, but I often use heavy pressure and movement to the left to my spot stimulation. Some patients may also consider the application of either a hot or a cold towel on the back of the neck or forehead. You should be able to find information on the location of these acupoints online.
3) Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are useful in the treatment of migraine pain. Your doctor will determine the pattern that fits your case. Usually, however, the patient suffers from stagnation and blocking the movement of Qi in the body that may be complicated by the rising energy in the head or lack of blood that can result from this energy. Your doctor should be able to explain the diagnosis to you and if you want to contact me, I'd be happy to share more of what these terms mean. The main objective is to allow pent-up energy to flow freely through the body and reduce its accumulation in the head. In addition to acupuncture or herbal therapy, your doctor will probably recommend exercise and stress relief such as meditation or yoga to help maintain the flow of Qi.
As the drug regimens that treat migraines often take 4 weeks to start working and up to three months before their effect is, acupuncture is something that should be used weekly for an extended period of time while the patient is suffering from migraines. Once the initial course of treatment is complete and migraines have stopped, the patient and the doctor may decide to change the length of time between treatments to suit each individual case.
Migraines are harmful to those suffering from pain and treating them with drugs that have no real effect on the underlying cause can be frustrating. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine seeks to relieve the symptoms while addressing the cause and can only be worth a look if you suffer from migraines.