How acupuncture can be used to treat migraines

Are you suffering with migraines? Having to lay down in a dark room all the time is no way to live life. Read below about how acupuncture and/or herbal medicine can help you reduce or completely resolve your migraines while treating the root cause and without any side effects from medications.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese medicine that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body. While some people may be skeptical about its effectiveness, it has stood the test of time, spread to every corner of the globe, and studies have shown that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for a variety of conditions, including migraines. As a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, I can tell you that sometimes acupuncture alone is enough to completely resolve migraines, and sometimes herbal medicine is required to resolve them fully as well. It’s dependent on a case by case basis and a variety of factors will be taken into account such as how severe your migraines are, how long you’ve had them, the frequency of migraine episodes, your overall health, if migraines are hormonal, etc.

Conventional Migraine Treatment Versus Natural Solutions

Migraines are a type of headache that can cause severe pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. They can be debilitating and greatly impact a person's quality of life. While there are many medications available to treat migraines, they can often cause unwanted side effects such as sleepiness, nausea, confusion, constipation and digestive issues, dizziness, etc. These medications also do not treat the underlying root cause, which means someone suffering from migraines might have to take the medication for the rest of their life.

Research on Acupuncture for Migraine Relief

The good news is that research studies have shown that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for migraines. One systemic review published in the Journal of Pain Research and Management found that acupuncture was significantly effective and a safe therapy for reducing the frequency of migraines. Another study published in the Frontiers of Neurology found that acupuncture was more effective and safer as prophylactic drug therapy in reducing the frequency and severity of migraines than pharmaceuticals.

How Acupuncture Works to Treat Migraines

So how does acupuncture work to relieve migraines? According to Chinese medicine, migraines can be caused by a lack of blood flow, or what’s called “blood stagnation”. Blood stagnation is when blood isn’t circulating properly due to excess inflammation, pathological fluids, and mucous, etc. Acupuncture can help to balance this by stimulating specific points on the body to clear inflammation, promote blood flow, and help lymph to circulate more freely. During an intake, we also check for gut imbalances, the state of the hormones, do a full review of systems, and determine if any diet or lifestyle factors might be contributing to frequent migraines.

Research has shown that one way in which acupuncture works is by stimulating the nervous system, which in turn releases natural painkillers such as endorphins. Acupuncture has also been shown to reduce inflammation and improve blood flow, which can contribute to migraine relief.

If you are considering acupuncture for migraines, it's important to find a licensed and experienced practitioner. During an acupuncture session, the practitioner will insert thin needles into specific points on your body. You may feel a slight prick or pressure, but acupuncture is generally painless and most people leave feeling relaxed! Migraines and headaches are often quite rewarding for me to treat, as often patients will walk in with pain and walk of the clinic without any pain.

Acupuncture may be used as a standalone treatment for most headaches; however, for more stubborn cases (persistent migraines) a custom herbal medicine prescription might be needed. Contact me to request to schedule an appointment and we can work together to determine the best treatment plan for your individual needs after a complete and thorough intake is performed.

I’m so sorry you’re experiencing migraine pain and I look forward to working with you and getting you out pain!

Resources:

1. Yang Y, Que Q, Ye X, Zheng G. Verum versus sham manual acupuncture for migraine: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Acupunct Med. 2016 Oct;34(5):316-23. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26718001/

2. Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B, Fei Y, Mehring M, Shin BC, Vickers A, White AR. Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Jun 28;(6):CD001218.

3. Wang LP, Zhang XZ, Guo J, Liu HL, Zhang Y, Liu CZ. Efficacy of acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis: a single-blinded, double-dummy, randomized controlled trial. Pain. 2011 Oct;152(10):1864-71. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21616596/

4. Li Y, Liang F, Yang X, Tian X, Yan J, Sun G, Chang X, Tang Y, Ma T, Zhou L, Lan L, Yao W, Zou R. Acupuncture for treating acute attacks of migraine: a randomized controlled trial. Headache. 2009 Jun;49(6):805-16. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2009.01424.x. Epub 2009 Apr 27. PMID: 19438740. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19438740/

5. https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/understanding-migraineacupuncture-and-migraine-finding-a-combination-that-sticks/

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291665/

7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7125485/

8. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.576272/full