According to the World Health Organization (WHO), migraines are the eighth most debilitating disease worldwide. American studies have shown that migraine affects 18% of all women and 6% of men in the USA. Although genetics play a role, factors like environment, lifestyle, and diet can also have an effect.
For those who are afflicted, migraine can be a debilitating condition. At its worst, the pain often becomes unbearable. While pain-relieving medications can provide quick relief from migraines, they often come with severe side effects. Many people find acupuncture a safe and effective alternative migraine treatment.
Benefits Of Acupuncture for Migraines
Acupuncture offers a cost-effective and side-effect-free alternative to the traditional way of managing migraines. Numerous studies have documented its benefits:
Treating and Preventing Migraines: Improves quality of life according to a 2018 online study.
Reducing Migraine Frequency: Shows a decrease in both short-term and long-term migraine episodes from a Czech randomised controlled trial in 2018.
Less Reliance on Painkillers: A 2016 Cochrane review found that 50% of patients reduced their migraine medication use after acupuncture treatments.
The Acupuncture Treatment Process For Migraines?
Headaches can sometimes signal serious health issues, such as meningitis, or a brain tumour. If you experience sudden, severe headaches for the first time, seeing a doctor immediately is crucial. After ruling out serious conditions, your acupuncturist will start with a detailed case history to understand your situation.
You'll be asked questions about various aspects of your health.
digestion,
dietary preferences,
food allergies,
sensitivity to cold and heat,
sleep patterns,
eyesight and hearing,
menstrual history, (if you are a woman),
skin condition,
general circulation,
immunity, and
emotional health
This will be followed by an examination, including palpation of various acupuncture points on your lower legs, arms, abdomen, and wrist pulse.
From these observations and the information gathered during the consultation, the practitioner will make a diagnosis and draw a treatment plan for your condition. As an example, In Chinese Medicine, migraine is often related to Liver and Gallbladder Qi stagnation, so your practitioner with be looking for diagnostic symptoms such as:
irritability,
tendency to depression,
painful periods, sore breasts before menses,
digestive disorders made worse with stress, bloating before menses or ovulation,
visual sensitivity to light, high-pitch tinnitus,
pain on the side of the body,
tendency to wake up early between 3-5 am.
If some of these symptoms are present, you will be asked to remove your shoes and socks and lay down on the treatment table. Several (around 3-5 ) Liver and Gallbladder acupuncture points on the lower legs and feet will be selected and retained for 20 minutes while your condition is constantly monitored.
If the symptoms indicate a different pattern, a different set of points on another channel will be selected. Whatever your diagnostic pattern, the acupuncture points on the feet are often chosen first to draw the energy away from the head where stagnation occurs. Overall, acupuncture relaxes the nervous system, so regular treatment should be an enjoyable experience. However, if you feel uncomfortable with a specific needle, please tell your practitioner, and it will be removed immediately.
Acupuncture for Migraines: Evidence and Research
Understanding Migraine Causes:
Migraines are often linked to the dilation of blood vessels outside the brain. Symptoms include severe, pulsating headaches usually on one side of the head, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light. Some people also experience a sensory disturbance known as an aura.
Research on Acupuncture's Effectiveness:
Extensive studies, including the "Modellvorhaben Akupunktur" trials in Germany, have shown that acupuncture significantly reduces the frequency of headaches and migraines. These benefits were observed even months after the treatments. Interestingly, similar improvements were noted in a sham acupuncture group, suggesting a potential placebo effect. Despite this, high-quality evidence supports acupuncture’s effectiveness for both tension headaches and migraines, leading to its recommendation in medical guidelines.
Frequency of Migraine Attacks and Acupuncture Efficacy
As with many other chronic health conditions, migraine sufferers will experience alternative short episodes of acute pain, combined with remission periods where the condition is almost pain-free.
While migraine is a family genetic inherited condition, other factors such as stress, diet and weight issues can also have an impact on the frequency and severity of the attacks. The Chinese medical approach is that no health issues occur in isolation from the rest of your body.
When a condition becomes chronic (after 3 months), the entire body becomes weaker, and other systems are also affected. So, the primary treatment emphasis will be to diagnose the primary pattern of dysfunction but also address other potential weaknesses in digestion, emotional balance, menses, sleep, or general immunity.
We aim to return your body to optimum health and strengthen it. We must also target other factors that cause or aggravate migraines, such as your diet, food allergies, stress levels, or hormone imbalances.
Acupuncture for Migraines During Pregnancy
Many pregnant women with migraines worry about the safety of acupuncture. Research, including a 2019 study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, shows that acupuncture is safe during pregnancy, with no reported adverse effects. Collaborating closely with healthcare providers like obstetricians and midwives is crucial.
Learn more about how acupuncture can be part of your migraine treatment during pregnancy. Monitoring symptoms such as frontal headaches and sensitivity to light is essential, as they may indicate conditions like pre-eclampsia. Consultations also focus on diet and specific food sensitivities that might trigger migraines.
Meet Olivier Lejus
Olivier Lejus brings over twenty-three years of experience to his clinical practice. He earned a Bachelor of Health Science in Acupuncture, and a Master of Health Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the University of Technology, Sydney. Olivier has completed advanced training in both Australia and Japan. As an accredited Remedial massage therapist and university lecturer, his extensive experience includes working with the Sydney Swans AFL team and serving on the medical team for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acupuncture For Migraines
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Research studies have shown that acupuncture points affect the nervous system. Acupuncture can reduce the pain transmission from the nerve fibres at the site of injury to alleviate muscular pain, or, in the case of migraines, relieve pain in the head by reversing the dilation of the blood vessels in the brain and regulating hormone production, such as oestrogen from the pituitary gland
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During the first consultation, you will be asked various questions regarding your digestion, and sensitivity to heat and cold. sleep pattern, headaches, eyesight, hearing, menstrual history, general circulation, immunity, and emotional health. After completion you will be asked to remove only your shoes and socks and lay down on a treatment table while your body will be draped with towels This will be followed by an examination of your lower legs, hands, and feet, ending with a palpation of your wrists to check your different pulses.
Once the practitioner has diagnosed, he will insert between 3 and 6 fine needles (barely thicker than a human hair) on our lower legs, feet, or hands. The needles will be removed after 25 minutes, and your condition and pulse will be monitored throughout the treatment.
I want your regular visit to be an enjoyable experience. I have been trained in a delicate Japanese style of medical acupuncture. Since acupuncture has a relaxing effect on the nervous system, it is not uncommon for patients to fall asleep during their treatment
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As a rule, the longer the condition occurs, the longer it will take to resolve. While one can often feel an improvement after just one treatment, for longer benefits, I would recommend one weekly therapy for four weeks, followed by several once-monthly follow-ups.
Book Your Consultation
Don't let migraines hold you back. Schedule a consultation with Olivier from Acupuncture on Wheels today, and take your first step towards effective migraine relief. See how professional acupuncture can make a real difference in your life. Click below to book your appointment and start living with fewer migraines.