Migraines and Acupuncture
Migraines affect your whole system, with pain splitting through the head, nausea, exhaustion and more. Acupuncture can help you.
In my acupuncture practice, each patient I meet has a different experience of migraine. This is why Traditional Five Element Acupuncture is such an effective way to treat your Migraine, as we treat each person as a whole, understanding the root cause, not just the problem.
Why do you get a Migraine?
There are many different reasons why each person gets Migraine, these may be:
- hormone imbalance
- stress
- fatigue
- insomnia
- dehydration
- irregular eating and low blood sugar
- certain foods and additives
- family history
- anxiety
- emotional upheaval
- medications and contraceptives
- neck tension or injury
- unknown causes
- exacerbation of migraines can be from menopause, COVID, chronic stress, chronic pain and chronic illness
Migraine Aura
You may also get warning signs you’re about to have a migraine, called an aura, such as:
- problems with your sight, such as seeing zigzag lines or flashing lights
- numbness or a tingling that feels like pins and needles
- feeling dizzy
- difficulty speaking
Types of Migraine
- Migraine without aura – no warning signs
- Migraine with aura – warning signs like seeing zigzag lines, numbness or tingling, feeling dizzy or difficulty speaking just before the migraine starts
- Migraine aura without headache (silent migraine) – Symptoms like flashing lights, but no headache
Migraines usually last between 2 hours and 3 days, with some symptoms (such as feeling very tired) starting up to 2 days before the head pain starts and finishing after the headache stops.
Some people have migraines several times a week, while others do not have them very often.
It’s common to have migraines before or during your period, called menstrual migraines.
Traditional Five Element Acupuncture Diagnosis for Your Migraine
- When you come for Traditional Five Element Acupuncture at the first appointment, which is 1 ½ hours long, your Acupuncturist will ask about your whole system
- Starting with medical history and any medications and supplements taken, and what treatment you are presently having.
- Asking how migraine affect you – when, how often, how long, after effects, where the pain is, does it change, any triggers, how you feel afterwards and listening to your experience of how migraine affects you.
- Note is taken of any other health issues, both emotional and physical
- Acupuncture diagnosis considers your diet, sleep, stressors, movement and exercise, relationships, work, family, family medical history, living situation, digestion and elimination, allergies, fluid and alcohol intake, hobbies, environmental factors, work work-life balance.
- Asking and listening to each patient to find what is relevant to your Migraine
- From this your treatment planned, and continually assessed through treatments
Acupuncture Treatment
- When you start to have Traditional Five Element Acupuncture treatment, your first appointment is a consultation and treatment.
- After it is advisable to have about six treatments close together, though this can differ as to how you respond to treatment
- Ideally then it is good to look at having treatments spaced out at about four to six weeks as a maintenance treatment to keep you well
- Migraine is a chronic pain issue and care is needed to keep you well
- Traditional Five Element Acupuncture is a preventative treatment to keep you well, as a whole as well as keeping your migraines away
- If you have other issues causing you problems these will be addressed during your treatment because we treat the person rather than just the symptoms
- Another blog you may want to read about Acupuncture and migraines here – https://www.southwellacupuncture.co.uk/blog/2024/04/25/migraines-acupuncture-spring/
Acupuncture for You
- Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years
- So many reasons to come and have acupuncture for your Migraine and general well-being
- For treatment and more information, contact Hannah Charles on: https://www.southwellacupuncture.co.uk/contact/
Hannah Charles is Member of The British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC)
Hannah is a founder member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC)
The BAcC is an advocate on behalf of Traditional Acupuncture professionals and maintains the highest professional standards to protect the general public. We provide our members with a wide range of services to facilitate their practice, and we also act for the traditional acupuncture profession as a whole:
- Expanding awareness of traditional acupuncture and how it works
- Representing the interests of fully qualified traditional acupuncturists
- Establishing and maintaining the highest professional standards of practice for acupuncture in the UK
- Overseeing and accrediting acupuncture education to ensure excellence in training
- Funding evidence-based clinical research on the benefits of traditional acupuncture
- Promoting evidence-based research to the public, the media and other healthcare providers
- Promoting integrated healthcare and contributing to the development of national healthcare policy
For more information check out BAcC Website: https://acupuncture.org.uk/
Migraine Acupuncture Research
Traditional Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapeutic practice that has been studied extensively for its potential to alleviate migraine symptoms. Research indicates that acupuncture may reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks.
A comprehensive meta-analysis involving 28 randomized controlled trials and 2,874 participants compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture and medication. The findings revealed that acupuncture significantly decreased the frequency of migraine attacks and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, indicating pain reduction. Moreover, acupuncture demonstrated a higher therapeutic efficiency compared to sham treatments and resulted in fewer adverse reactions than medications – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32714268/
A randomised clinical trial investigated the long-term effects of acupuncture on migraine prophylaxis. Over 24 weeks, participants receiving true acupuncture experienced a significant reduction in migraine frequency compared to those receiving sham acupuncture or being on a waiting list. Notably, the benefits persisted even after six months, highlighting acupuncture’s potential for sustained migraine relief –https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2603492?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Current research supports acupuncture as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for migraine management, offering benefits in reducing attack frequency and severity with a favorable safety profile. However, individual responses can vary, and it’s essential to consult with a healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate treatment strategy for your specific situation.
Relax with Acupuncture for your Migraine
