Migraine
Acupuncture – Treatment Of Headache And Pain Management Migraine
I took a series of questions recently about migraines and if acupuncture treatment is successful. In my experience in the Boston area, I can say that while the patient is ready to participate fully in the treatment plan developed by the acupuncturist, I have seen very promising results for sufferers of migraine with acupuncture. The results are not only be anecdotal, studies supporting the use of acupuncture for migraine, as published in the British Medical Journal found a decrease in seizure frequency, among other things. Before entering acupuncture plays in all this, I take a moment to discuss the alarming statistics on the physiological and migraines.
Headaches in general is a serious problem in America with as much 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 migraines, cluster, tension or depression caused by a malfunction of the central nervous system. Secondary headaches are a problem outside the nervous system, which then causes the symptoms of headaches, such as hypertension, hepatic or renal impairment, flu, or ATM to name a few.
Migraine with or without aura, tend to affect females 3:1, and more than 20% of adult women suffer from it. The diagnosis is usually made based on the location, frequency, duration and characteristics of pain in patients with a personal or family history of headaches since 90% of migraine sufferers have a family history of them.
The basic science behind the migraine is that there is a rapid vasodilatation or opening of blood vessels in the head, leading to throbbing pain, usually with a migraine. There were also some effects of serotonin in the process that explains the use of a class of prescription drugs called SSRIs, including Prozac, to treat the occurrence of headaches. The standard regimen involves a dependency of NSAIDs such as naproxen and ibuprofen, but it is often only reduces pain, without addressing the cause and recurrence of migraine.
The experience of each person with migraine is different. Some intense visual aura, which includes zigzag lines or tunnel vision before an attack, while others are more sensitive to particular odors. Pain relief can be found in a dark, quiet room or sleeping below. Attacks can occur in a day’s work after sitting at a computer for a long time or even more worrying, just before the weekend, when the stress of the workweek increases suddenly. 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 triggered by environmental factors such as cooked meats containing nitrates, chocolate, alcohol, flashing lights, air pressure or rapid temperature changes to name a few . Many women find that their migraines are related to their menstrual cycle and hormonal changes that occur in each phase of the cycle. By filing and identification of possible causes of migraine, you can take control of your environment and avoid or at least be more aware of the possibility of migraine in the future. Oriental medicine is dependent on information collected during a migraine, and if more detailed information you can share with your practitioner, such as the characteristics, location and duration of pain and what you have seen, felt or seen during an attack, the easier it is for them to properly diagnose the underlying problem.
2) When an asthma attack, try some simple techniques of acupressure to reduce pain. Often the pressure on acupuncture points around the base of the skull as the gall bladder 20, bladder 10, gallbladder 12 is useful. Other spots around the neck as the gall bladder 21 on the trapezius muscle can also help. Acupuncturists often use items around the hand as the colon or four feet as the liver 1, 2 or 3 to reduce pain in the head. Whether you prefer light or heavy touch or movement clockwise or counterclockwise depending on whether your pain disappear, but I often use heavy pressure and a reverse movement from my point of stimulation. Some patients may also consider using 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 acupuncture points online.
3) Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are useful in the treatment of migraine pain. Your practitioner to identify the model that is in your particular case. Generally, however, that the patient suffers from stagnation and blocking the movement of Qi in the body that may be complicated by the rise in energy to the head or the lack of blood that can spoil this energy. Your doctor should be able to explain this diagnosis for you and if you want to contact me, I would be happy to share more about what these terms mean. The main objective is to provide stored energy to move freely through the body and reduce its accumulation in the head. In addition to acupuncture and herbal medicine, your doctor will probably recommend practices emergency exercise and stress such as meditation or yoga to help keep the qi flowing.
Just as therapeutic regimens for the treatment of migraine often begin a period of 4 weeks and not more than three months before the full effect, acupuncture is something that should be used on a weekly basis for a long time, when the patient suffers from migraine. When the first treatment cycle has been completed and the headaches have stopped, the patient and the doctor may decide to change the time between treatments to suit each case.
Migraines are harmful to people who suffer from them and treating pain with drugs that have no real effect on the underlying cause can be frustrating. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine seeks to relieve the symptoms while the just causes and perhaps worth a visit if you suffer from migraine.