Acupuncture Provides Relief for Migraine Sufferers
Migraines can be extremely debilitating for some, leading to missed work or school, intense pain, emotional changes, nausea, gastrointestinal issues, and other symptoms. I’ve not only seen my patients experience this condition, but have personally experienced it myself when I was in college. I got to a point where I was getting almost daily migraines, and was thinking of taking a leave of absence. None of the medications were helping me. I went to multiple migraine specialists who literally threw samples of medications at me to try. Nothing seemed to help. This is how I was introduced to acupuncture.
I happened to meet an acupuncturist who was a guest speaker in my philosophy class and started going for treatment 1-2 times a week. I figured I had nothing to lose, and no other options to try. Within a couple of weeks, I noticed a significant decrease in the severity and length of my migraines. After three months, I was migraine free, was sleeping better, and less anxious in general. This is what brought me to pursue acupuncture as a career. I wanted to be able to help others.
In my clinic, I track my migraine patients’ progress by looking at the severity/intensity, length and frequency of migraines. I also look for other improvements as well that suggest that the overall body and health is improving, such as sleep quality, eating habits/appetite, digestion, etc. Migraines can be multi-factorial with many different types of triggers so it’s important to look at the whole body and lifestyle.
Recent research has shown through MRI studies that acupuncture restores brain function, which in migraine patients seems to be abnormal prior to treatment. See below for the full article:
