Tag: headache

Migraine is a severe form of recurrent headache, lasting from four to 72 hours, on one side of the head and often associated with nausea and vomiting, light and sound sensitivity.  Migraine is commonly triggered by stress, fatigue, menstruation and weather changes.

A tension headache is usually felt as bilateral severe continuous pressure. It may last a few weeks or longer and is commonly associated with stress and depression.

Other common causes of headaches include pregnancy, poor posture, sinus congestion, high blood pressure, overwork and fatigue.

Acupuncture is an effective and natural approach for relieving migraine and tension headaches.

Taking a painkiller simply masks the symptoms of a headache.  It may be helpful in the short term however it will not resolve the issue and headaches will continue to recur.  You can instead use acupuncture to move towards long-term resolution.

The Chinese medicine system identifies headaches arising from dysfunction in various organ systems or channels (meridians), each of which will present differently in terms of location and nature of pain.  We will identify which type of headache you suffer from and what is causing it, and then we use acupuncture to help your body-mind re-establish health and correct the cause of the headaches.

I will initially ask you many questions – about the nature and location of pain (is the pain dull or sharp, is it mostly on your forehead or temples, behind the eyes or base of the neck), and about your overall health (your digestion, skin, diet, work habits and personal history).  This helps me identify where the dysfunction is occurring, and what may be causing it in the first place.

A key to understanding your health is that symptoms are a sign that something in your life is not working.  By simply masking symptoms we keep living lives that are out of balance and the issue doesn’t resolve.  Through the course of treatment, we need to understand what’s really going on for you and tailor the treatment accordingly.  It is highly individualised.  You may also discover changes you need to make in your life – such as changing unhelpful habits – that will assist long-term resolution.

How many treatments you need will depend on how long you have had suffered from migraines/ headaches and how quickly you respond to acupuncture. In recent clinical trials, patient’s with migraines typically received 15 acupuncture treatments over a 12-week period to experience a significant reduction in frequency of attacks.

I have found that patients who present with migraine commonly experience stress and anxiety, and stress is a common trigger for tension headaches.  I developed a routine of simple meditation-acupressure-qigong-relaxation techniques to help bring a sense of calm and groundedness, suitable for anyone to do. It’s available to download as a video, here for free.

You can book an appointment to see me here.  If you’re new to acupuncture and would like to have a chat first, you’re welcome to book a free 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your situation.   Contact me here.

Most importantly, begin to imagine what your life may feel like without headaches!