Acupuncture For Migraines
Acupuncture For Migraines
The practice of acupuncture is believed to help relieve a variety of conditions and pains. If you are struggling with migraines and bad headaches, then you could consider the ancient Chinese health care system as an alternative treatment to ease the symptoms.
There are studies to suggest that acupuncture for migraines can produce positive results. With regular treatment, patients experienced reduced frequency of the condition, as well as relied less on pharma medication for pain relief. This, of course, will vary from person to person, but overall, it can generally be considered a safe form of treatment in the hands of an experienced acupuncturist.
Let’s take a deeper look into how this natural method works within the body to treat migraines.
How Does Acupuncture For Migraines Work?
Acupuncture originates from China and is one of the oldest health care systems in the world. The practice involves piercing the skin at various points with very thin needles. The needles target different pressure points along the 14 meridians in the body. The idea behind this is to rebalance the flow of your body’s natural life energy – or qi as it is traditionally known.
Acupuncture can help to stimulate the body in a number of ways. While the practice is mostly said to target pain relief in specific areas, it may be used to help deal with stress, anxiety, and overall mental wellbeing.
If you are struggling with migraines, the specific pressure points relating to headaches can be targeted. There are a couple of ways in which stimulating these nervous areas can help with the condition
Undergoing Treatment
The general idea behind undergoing acupuncture for migraines is that the process helps to activate pathways in the brain that are responsible for turning off pain. Through stimulating various points of the nervous system, this practice may help to release your bodies natural painkillers. This includes a flow of endorphins and enkephalins.
Acupuncture can also help to increase the flow of blood to the painful area. Muscles that are targeted during the acupuncture session can also relax more – helping with pain relief. Areas that are targeted during acupuncture are generally along the back and neck. In the case of migraines, the forehead is also targeted. All of these points are thought to slow down pain transmission to the affected area.
Generally speaking, acupuncture for migraines may be used alongside other methods to help deal with the condition. It is recommended that you discuss the best treatment plan for the condition with your health care provider.
Acupuncture treatment for migraines and headaches will generally be sessions twice a week for the first two weeks. This will then be followed by one session a week for eight weeks. Best results are seen in patients that start treatment at an early stage and stick to regular sessions.
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Possible Benefits of Acupuncture
Aside from some potential bruising or pain felt after your first session, the practice generally has minimal side effects when consulting with an experienced acupuncturist.
Perhaps one of the drawcards people consider for this method is a possible lowered dependency on prescribed medication. Although results will vary according to each person, this approach may have fewer possible side effects and doesn’t involve any strong medications. Even if you do take medication for migraines, you may be able to use acupuncture alongside it to help ease the symptoms.
Dealing with chronic pain is not easy, and there may be long term benefits in this practice if you do it regularly. A study which compared the effectiveness of acupuncture compared to a sham method of healing using needles indicated that even though both groups reported less frequent and intense migraines, only the group who had the real treatment felt they had lasting effects from it.
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Final Thoughts
If you struggle with migraines, there may be a solution for you in acupuncture. With regular sessions, you could start to feel real pain relief without the negative side effects or possible dangers that other treatments carry.
Be sure to book an appointment with one of our experienced acupuncturists if you would like to experience the benefits of this ancient practice. We provide a safe clinic for your treatment and care about the results you see.
