Migraine Relief
What all Migraine Sufferers Should Know About their Headaches
Acupuncture is most effective in the prevention of migraines and has been effective for managing the acute pain of migraine attacks in mild to moderate types of migraine. Severe migraine see the benefits over a longer treatment times as treatments minimize headache reactions and triggers.
A typical acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of fine needles into acupuncture points on the body followed by gentle manipulation of the needles. This instantly increases blood flow in the tissues through a mechanism know as the “axon reflex”, which dilates the small vessels around the needle area. An increase in circulation where blood flow is poor is called removal of “stagnation” in Asian medicine and is generally considered a very good response for most chronic conditions and for migraine prevention.
However, since pain during a migraine is believed to be associated with dilation of blood vessels in the head, inducing this physiological reaction through the insertion of needles into the head and neck area itself would not be desirable during an attack. It may even temporarily worsen the patient’s pain and accompanying symptoms such as nausea.
To minimize activity of the blood vessels in the head and neck during a migraine attack, acupuncture points should be avoided in the head itself. Instead selection of acupuncture points should be chosen on the arms and legs. The head and neck areas are rarely stimulated to avoid unnecessary dilation of vessels in that area.
Acupuncture can provide an effective Migraine Treatment
Emotional stress is a well known trigger for migraine. Japanese researchers have found that people living in fast-paced business centers in Tokyo tend to have an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, specifically, an inhibition of the parasympathetic system that is active during relaxation, and an excitation of the sympathetic nervous system, which governs
