Acupuncture for headaches and migraines
Acupuncture for headaches and migraines – ETHOS HEALTH CARE
Headaches are often related to stress or can occur along-side fatigue, muscular pains or insomnia and migraines are often accompanied by nausea, dizziness and aversion to bright lights. In all of these cases, acupuncture can be used to treat the root cause of the problem as well as dealing with the manifestation.
Acupuncture is one of the world’s oldest healing practices, seeking to restore and maintain health by stimulating specific points on the body to maintain a balance of body energies.
In the ancient language of acupuncture, headaches and migraine are caused by ‘Qi Stagnation’ around the head and possibly neck. There are many ways of categorising headaches and migraine according to the Chinese theory. The location, nature of the pain, severity, and accompanying symptoms are all used to get a detailed picture of what is causing the attacks. The acupuncturist will also ask about your general health, take your pulse and look at your tongue. This is a very precise way of looking at the causes of your headaches or migraines, and it allows the acupuncturist to work out a treatment that is specific to your symptoms, and overall health.
Acupuncture points to treat headaches are located all over the body. During the acupuncture treatment, tiny needles will be placed along your legs, arms, shoulders, and perhaps even your big toe. When an acupuncture specialist inserts needles into different areas of the body, it improves the flow of blood to the brain, which alleviates the pain of a migraine. Neurotransmitters affect your blood vessels and therefore play a part in migraines; the tiny acupuncture needles promote balanced serotonin levels, which ease the pressure.
In addition to needling treatment, acupuncturists may recommend lifestyle changes, such as suggestions for specific breathing techniques, qi gong exercise, and changes to your diet.