Reoccurring headaches and the debilitating pain of a migraine can leave anyone feeling far from normal and limit participation in every day life. Most people result to painkillers to help alleviate the pain. Unfortunately the headaches come and go and these headaches become a cycle that can’t be broken. Not to mention that taking long term pain killers can have negative side effects, which is why many are looking for solutions elsewhere. If you’re looking for relief, acupuncture can provide a solution.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine are very effective at relieving headaches because the treatment is focused on the individual and the specific symptom unique to each person. What part of the head does the person feel the pain, when does the pain come and go, and the quality of pain, menstrual cycle, and food diet are just a few examples of questions that will be asked to determine what type of treatment points be used in your relief acupuncture treatment.
Acupuncture focuses on the physiological patterns that are associated with the causes of the headache. Acupuncturists piece together the patterns associated with the headache by understanding the nervous system, muscles, and fascia that are causing the headache. Relief acupuncture works through interacting with the nervous system to push blood into the area that is causing the headache. This relieves the headache. Local needles are not placed where the headache is felt, thus, a person can tell that the headache is greatly diminished or gone!
The duration and frequency of an Acupuncture treatment session for headache and migraine depends on the severity of the symptoms. Chronic, more serious headache issues may need longer or multiple sessions to provide long lasting relief and thus a more concrete solution rather than a “bandaid” therapy. Most people experience headache relief in just the first Acupuncture session.
NIH PubMED featured clinical abstract for Migraine prevention