Acupuncture for Migraines

Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical techniques in the world, practiced in China for over 2,000 years. It is a FDA-approved treatment modality for a number of illnesses, especially pain management and chronic pain, and is particularly effective in treating migraines.

Acupuncture is a Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment that involves stimulating some of the over 800 vital energy points in the human body with fine, hair-thin needles to release chi and encourage the body to heal itself. The vital energy points are on the meridians that run through the body from head to toe.

Chi (pronounced chee), or life energy, flows through these meridians and energy points.
The obstruction of the flow of chi leads to illness and is considered the source of many bodily aches and pains. The flow of chi along the meridians can be obstructed by illness, poor diet, the weather, and other outside factors.

Most acupuncture practitioners work with patients to form a treatment plan that addresses both the blockages themselves and the things that cause them. These treatment plans, like those of Western Medicine, often include diet and lifestyle changes to enhance the patients’ well-being.

Migraineurs (people who suffer from migraine headaches) need to tell their acupuncturist exactly where they hurt when seeing one for pain mitigation. The location of pain is important due to the large number of acupuncture points in the head, face, and neck. Where to apply pressure depends on where the migraine pain is most acute.

Migraineurs can find long-term relief from their migraines by working with an acupuncturist who specializes in headaches. These specialists do an individualized assessment of the patient to create a long-term treatment plan. Many people who undergo an acupuncture program like this experience relief from migraines for years afterward. For some the headaches stop completely.

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Aging and Migraines

Aging is a fact of life. Getting older means increasing frailty and susceptibility to illness, but it can also be a boon to migraineurs (people who experience migraine headaches). Only 2-10% of the elderly population experiences migraines (as opposed to up to 28% of adults under 65), and elderly women are still more likely to have them than their male counterparts.

Migraines can happen at any age, but they peak around age 40. The frequency of migraine attacks after 40 decreases for most people. Many migraineurs who have suffered with this condition for years experience a reduction in the frequency and severity of attacks after age 55.

About two thirds of migraineurs stop having attacks altogether by age 65. Patients over 65 who still have migraines report drastically decreased severity, duration, and frequency in their attacks. They are also less likely to experience the gastrointestinal upset that accompanies migraine in younger people.

The downside to all this good news is that adults over 65 who suffer from migraines are more likely than younger patients to experience disability because of their affliction. Many physicians are uncomfortable with treating senior citizens for migraines because therapeutic methods used on younger people are often not tested for safety in an older patient.

Additional conditions and the medications used to treat them complicate the problem. Seniors are more likely to be on one or more prescription drugs and each new medication increases the risk of adverse drug reactions. This possibility makes some doctors reluctant to offer senior migraineurs pharmaceutical assistance.

The onset of migraines after age 50 is very rare and should be investigated with a doctor to rule out the possibility of secondary causes. Late onset does not rule out migraine (only one third of senior headaches are due to secondary conditions) but it makes it less likely.

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Natural Remedies for Migraines and Headaches

Do you suffer from constant headaches or migraines? If you do, you may be looking to seek relief. With that being said, even if you only occasionally suffer from headaches or migraines, you may still be seeking fast relief, but in a natural way.

For natural ways to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with migraines and headaches, please continue reading on.

Grapes are a great and natural way to seek relief from a headache or a migraine. When it comes to using grapes to seek relief, there are a number of different steps that can be taken. For natural consumption, just eat a bowlful of ripe grapes. Another approach involves just drinking the juice, as the juice is what provides the relief. With this approach, squish or grind a few grapes and drink the juice.

In keeping with what is consumed, it is important to eat a proper diet. Diet is not only an ideal way to help get over a migraine quicker, but it is also a way to reduce your chances of suffering from one. A well balanced diet is key to staying happy and healthy. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, honey, yogurt, and milk are advised. In fact, one other natural remedy for headaches that comes highly recommended is eating a fresh apple each morning.

Water is also key to reducing the average time frame of a headache or a migraine. As with a healthy diet, the regular consumption of water can help to prevent the onset of headaches and migraines. In addition to drinking plain water, another home and natural remedy for headaches and migraines that comes recommended is that of honey. Many headache and migraine sufferers report a decrease or complete elimination in pain when drinking a glass of water with a teaspoon of honey.

A cold compress can also and should be used to help treat a migraine or a headache. A ziplock bag filled with ice or a cold washcloth can be used. Although a cold compress is an ideal way to seek relief from a headache or a migraine, there are also individuals who claim that heat provides them with assistance. If you would like to try this approach, start with warm washcloths or towels around the neck and armpits.

Those who have the option to do so are encouraged to sleep when they develop a painful headache or migraine. Although sleep may not provide permanent relief, the temporary relief is still preferred by many. Even if sleep is not possible, like if you are a parent who is at home with your child, stay in a dark room. Light can often complicate a headache, especially a migraine. This can make the pain much worse or even unbearable for many. For that reason, those suffering from migraines are encouraged to limit their exposure to household lights, sunlight, television, and computer screens.

Headaches, especially migraines, can be debilitating. Some sufferers are unable to continue on with their daily activities. If this describes you and if you have tried the above mentioned natural and home remedies for migraines without success, you may want to consider contacting a healthcare professional. As nice as it is to stay natural, it is important to be able to complete your daily tasks, especially if you are employed or a parent.

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Common Migraine Food Triggers

No one knows for sure what causes migraine headaches. The most likely to answer to-date is that a serious of small irritations or reactions pile up until, finally, a migraine headache is triggered. Migraine triggers are different for each individual, but many migraineurs claim that a particular food or combination of foods will push them over the edge into a headache.

Keep in mind that most science disagrees with migraineurs when it comes to food triggers. There are no conclusive studies indicating a link between certain foods and migraine headaches, so all information is anecdotal. The thing is there is a lot, tons in fact, of anecdotal evidence for the link.

While a migraine trigger food can be, quite literally, anything, some foods come up on the trigger list for enough people to merit discussion.

Cheese

Cheese is a major trigger for many migraineurs. Particularly likely to cause an attack are hard or aged cheeses. Soft cheeses like cream cheese and new cheeses seem to be fine and unlikely to cause problems.

Processed Meats

Nitrates are believed by many to be a major migraine trigger. For most people, the most common source of nitrates is processed meat, items like hot dogs, sausage, bacon, processed lunchmeats, etc.

Condiments

Salad dressings are a trigger for many. The reason is not known, but is probably tied to a combination of other triggers all coming together in one place.

Spices and Additives

Any spice can be a trigger. Spices as triggers may be tied, at least partially, to scent sensitivity, since many spices have a pungent odor. Seasonings that seem to give migraineurs the most trouble include monosodium glutamate (MSG), common in Asian foods, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and vinegar.

Migraineurs who suspect a food trigger should consider trying an elimination diet to pinpoint the trigger food(s).

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Acupressure and Migraines

Acupressure is a completely non-invasive treatment option that has a high success rate among migraineurs (people who suffer from migraine headaches). It has a proven track record as a successful pain abatement technique. Acupressure is also efficacious in reducing both the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are over 800 vital energy points in the human body. These points lie along meridians that run throughout a person’s body. Chi, or life energy, flows along the meridians and through the energy points in healthy people. Chi that is blocked or overabundant near particular energy points causes illness and pain.
Acupressure massage applies pressure to these energy points in order to release chi and stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms. The energy points are massaged with the fingers, thumb, or occasional blunt object with medium pressure in a circular pattern.
The simplest acupressure a migraineur can learn is an all-over head massage. This technique just requires the practitioner to massage the scalp as though they were washing their hair. Sit with the elbows resting on a table to prevent arm strain and the head resting lightly in the hands to perform head and neck acupressure.

Moderate pressure applied to the GB20 points offers the best relief for migraine pain. They are on either side of the neck, approximately one inch to each side of the spinal column just below where the skull and neck muscles connect. GB20 also goes by the more romantic-sounding Chinese name “The Gates of Consciousness”.

Migraineurs seeking to relieve their headache and neck pain should practice deep breathing while using the thumbs of both hands to press firmly on the GB20 points for one to two minutes. If this is painful at first, home practitioners can start out by pressing and releasing the points in five to fifteen second intervals.

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Migraine Headache Pain Relief Management

One of the most complex forms of illnesses is the migraine headache pain. In fact, this condition is very common as it does not only triggers adults, but teenagers and children as well. Although unpleasant, headache pain is basically regarded as a normal part of a person’s daily life. Since headache pain is among the top reasons for medical appointments to doctors and physicians today, it only proves that there is really nothing more typical on this type of illness.

The major causes of headache pain vary from the different cases of headache. Among the top factors that trigger headache pain are viruses, bio-chemicals, hormones, and bacteria. Genetics also has something to do with a person’s susceptibility to headache pains. People with low levels of serotonin are more likely to suffer from headache. Serotonin is the neuro-chemical that protects an individual from pain.

Determining different types of headache pain

While irritating and unpleasant pain is inevitable in all types of headache, it actually comes in different forms. It is really important for one to know the various types of headache pain in order to have proper diagnosis and application of headache pain relief treatments.

1. Migraine headache pain

This type of pain occurs on the one side of the head. The pain can become severe to the point that it can interfere with a person’s daily productivity.

2. Cluster headache pain

This type of headache pain is severe and sudden. Although a cluster headache has a shorter duration compared to other types of headache, it can trigger up to six times in one day.

3. Sinus headache pain

An infection, swelling, and irritation of the sinuses can spark a sinus headache pain. This type of headache pain is oftentimes mistaken with tension and migraine pains.

4. Rebound migraine headache pain

A rebound migraine headache pain is oftentimes caused by over-consumption of migraine headache medications. Instead of diminishing the pain, pain reliever drugs can ultimately cause headache pains when abused.

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Migraine Headaches – Is There a Remedy Without Drugs?

Natural treatment methods for migraine headaches are usually harmless and also cheaper than traditional pain medications. Sure, it’s possible you could experience a negative reaction or even increase your headache pain because of a natural treatment, but the odds are far less than with pain-relieving medications.

People are different from each other. A natural treatment that might relieve one person’s migraine headaches may not relieve someone else’s.  But on the same measure, just because one migraine headache treatment does not work for one person does not mean it won’t work for you. There are many effective alternatives to taking medication when it comes to relieving migraine headaches. One of these alternative methods may be just what you have been looking for.

Chiropractic adjustments, or chiropractic manipulations, are a very popular natural treatment method for headache relief. Patients with migraine headaches have been visiting chiropractors for over 100 years, and with very good results. Studies have shown that over 80% of headache patients find relief with chiropractic care. Plus, chiropractic treatment has been shown to be extremely safe. Spinal problems do cause headaches and by correcting these spinal problems many headache sufferers find welcome relief.

Biofeedback is another form of treatment that is safe and can be effective in eliminating pain. Biofeedback is a training program designed to help a person develop the ability to control their autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. Functions that are normally automatic can be controlled voluntarily. This technique makes it possible for a person to control their own heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and of course, the relaxation of their tense muscles.

Stress can cause tension, which can lead to muscle tightness (muscle tension) and cause headaches. By relaxing these tense muscles, especially in the neck, it is possible to relieve the tension causing the migraine headaches. With biofeedback, once the technique is learned there is no longer any need for the biofeedback equipment. The patient with migraine headaches can now produce the desired effect at any. They can control certain bodily functions, such as muscle relaxation, which can help reduce and relieve their migraine headaches.

Most people are unaware that too much salt can cause headaches. And by simply lessening the salt intake headaches can sometimes be prevented.

Food allergies or sensitivities can also cause migraine headaches. Certain foods such as cheese, alcohol, monosodium glutamate (a food additive), nuts, beans, caffeine, chocolate and onions can cause migraines. Foods that cause headaches are called “triggers.” People who experience migraine headaches because of food sensitivities can eliminate their pain by simply eliminating the foods causing the pain.

However, it’s not always easy to discover which foods are the culprits. One way is to keep a food diary. Get a small notebook, with each page representing one day. On each daily page make three columns. The first column will contain the hours in the day. The second column will be a list of the foods eaten that day. And the third column will list the symptoms that you experience.

As an example, if you had eggs and toast for breakfast at 8 AM you would write “eggs and toast” in the food column that corresponds with 8 AM. Make a note of everything that is eaten on this list and at what time they were eaten.

When you eventually experience a migraine headache you write “migraine headache” or “headache” down in the symptoms column at the time it began. For example, if one of your headaches begins at 2 PM you will write “headache” in the symptoms column for 2 PM.

It may take a few weeks or even a few months, but after experiencing a few migraine headaches, with the help of the food diary, you will be able to tell which foods cause headaches. Over time, by figuring out which ingredients in these foods are causing your pain, you will be able to eliminate these ingredients and relieve some pain.

Another very common cause of tension headaches and migraine headaches is just plain stress. People who experience tension can get headaches from their increased tension.

Relieving tension can often relieve migraine headaches. Tension can be relieved in many ways such as with biofeedback training (as explained above), taking a warm bath or shower, lying down and resting in a quiet dark room, putting something cold on the back of the neck (at the base of the skull) or having someone massage your neck muscles and possibly your temporal region to help relieve your tension and muscle spasms. Regular exercise can also, over time, reduce tension.

These are just a few of the many natural treatment methods that are available to migraine headache patients. They are all considered safe and are effective for many people. If you have headaches it may be beneficial to try some of these treatments or search out others on your own.

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