Most of us experience headaches or migraines at points. However, when experienced regularly, they can begin to negatively impact our day-to-day life.
A clinical trial in the USA recently found that those living with migraines experience a direct impact on their relationships, careers, financial stability, and overall health.
Out of 13,064 respondents, 34.6% indicated that their headaches contributed to relationship problems, with 3.2% reporting that they were the reason behind not having, delaying or having fewer children. A further third of participants reported having long-term monetary worries due to migraines, correlating with 32.7% who stated they negatively affected their job.
So how then, can we seek treatment for ongoing headaches and migraines?
Typically, those suffering turn to pain killers and other pharmaceuticals as a first response. But while pain relief may soothe the initial discomfort, it doesn’t treat the root of the cause. Taking medication as a long-term solution can also lead to other health problems and side effects.
When you have headaches, migraines, or even neck pain, you must stop shooting the messenger with pain medications and instead get to the real problem that is causing these symptoms.
Here we share how acupuncture for headaches and migraines is a safe, alternative option that can fully heal your ailments.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a completely safe, natural treatment that focuses on reducing pain and restoring balance within the body. It is a holistic practice with very few side effects that don’t involve the use of any medication.
By placing thin needles into specific pressure points on the body, we signal to the brain that it needs to heal and rebalance.
Can acupuncture help headaches and migraines?
Acupuncture is an excellent option for those suffering from headaches, migraines, and neck pain. Such symptoms have many causes that can be hard to identify, from stress and anxiety to changes in diet or the environment.
By restoring a positive flow within the body, acupuncture is able to get to the root of the issue rather than simply remedy the effect. Therefore many people have acupuncture for tension headaches, cluster headaches, sinus pain, or chronic migraines.
Some may claim that there is a placebo effect, but researchers have shown this is not the case. In a trial in China by The BMJ, 147 patients with a history of migraines were either randomly allocated manual acupuncture or non-penetrating sham acupuncture that used non-acupuncture points.
Over 12 weeks, manual acupuncture had a much greater response, reducing migraine days by 55% more than sham acupuncture with an increasing trend.
In a similar study, patients suffering from chronic headaches were found to have 34% fewer headache days, take 15% less medication, and have 15% fewer days off work within a year of acupuncture treatment.
So how does the practice of acupuncture help headaches?
How can acupuncture help with headaches and migraine relief?
Acupuncture uses your nerves and fascia to help the brain and body communicate more efficiently creating an environment in which you are able to heal.
Most of us live in constant stress and tension which will cause the rest, digest, and relax networks to shut down. This will create chronic health conditions including headaches, migraines, and neck pain. The body uses pain to let the brain know that something is wrong but if you're constantly in a stressed-out state, healing cannot occur, at all.
Acupuncture will allow you to rest, digest, and relax and enable you to get into a state of healing. This is why acupuncture not only treats your main problem but other ones as well. Improved sleep, better digestion, reduction in illness, better mood, less anxiety, less pain, and so on. When you enter a healing state, your body self-corrects.
“I was intimidated by the “needles” initially, but Kiya assured me that I would not feel pain from them. She was right! I felt anything BUT pain! The immediate feeling of tensions and other negatives leaving my body was refreshing, and Kiya’s voice is soothing while she talks me through the process. She listens and truly cares about what is ailing her clients, and works to resolve the issues. With regular visits, Kiya has not only been able to help me with my menstrual migraines, but she has also helped me to “regulate” my female issues, in turn preventing the headaches from occurring! Kiya definitely has a magic touch, and her healing practices are greatly appreciated!”
Get help with your migraines and headaches
At Meraki Family Wellness, we have treated acute and chronic migraines, headaches, and neck pain with success. Each of our patients is given a personalized treatment plan to remedy their individual problems and address the root of the issue.
“I have had chronic neck/shoulder/backaches. Kiya is the only one who has ever provided relief from these issues. What sets her apart is the amount of care she has for each client. Her aim is not to have you as a transaction, but to have you leaving her room feeling lighter and more healed. She is someone I have come to love, trust, and cherish as a friend and healer. The trust comes in knowing that no matter how spread out my appointments are, that whenever I reach out for her healing help, she is readily available to work on me to get me back to where I need to be. I so appreciate her and recommend her services to everyone!”
Find out more about our acupuncture for headaches services and get in touch today.