Treating headaches and migraines with acupuncture and herbal medicine

Just about everyone has experienced a headache at one time. For most of us, headaches are infrequent and generally mild to moderate in intensity. For relief we will drink some water, take a nap, or take some NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Advil, Tylenol or Aspirin. However, many people will experience headaches on a more frequent basis, sometimes with unbearable intensity, and will take handfuls of medication to make it go away.

What causes headaches and migraines?

Headaches and migraines are often associated with other symptoms or functions. I often see women who can directly correlate their headaches with their menstrual cycle. Many people can link their headaches to some kind of past physical trauma, such as falling, being hit on the head or a car accident that has caused misalignment or muscle tightness in their neck or back. Several people experience an increase in their headaches when under increased periods of anger or stress. For many, the cause of their headaches are a mystery. Regardless of the situation, acupuncture and herbal medicine can provide an effective and natural solution that doesn’t require overloading on medication.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments for headaches and migraines

In Chinese medicine, the treatment strategy is the same for both headaches and migraines. There are several diagnostic patterns that contribute to headaches, but two of the most common are “Qi and Blood Stagnation” and “Liver Yang Rising”. As explained in past newsletters, improper flow of qi and blood can lead to stagnation and it is the stagnation that causes the pain. The treatment strategy would be to “move the qi and blood”. This is a metaphorical term that refers to unblocking the stagnation so that the qi and blood can flow freely and the pain is alleviated.

The pattern of “Liver Yang Rising” is a little more complicated as it is usually a result of 2 concurrent disharmonies. Chinese medicine, and historical Chinese culture, believes that there are two forces that are constantly opposing and attracting each other. Those forces are known as Yin and Yang. In the pattern of “Liver Yang Rising” there is an imbalance of Yin and Yang, specifically a deficiency of Yin. When there is an overabundance of Yang vs. Yin, then it is said that the Yin is too weak to anchor the Yang and the Yang energy begins to rise upwards towards the head. The symptoms of Yang rising manifest as headaches, tinnitus (ear ringing), dizziness, high blood pressure, and hot flashes or feelings of heat in the head or upper body. Sometimes these symptoms can be accompanied by anger or extreme irritability.

Why you should opt for alternative medicine over medications

Medications prescribed for migraine relief are often expensive and can have mixed results. All medications, whether prescribed or over-the-counter, have risks of damaging the liver especially when taken on a frequent basis and/or in high doses. They may provide temporary relief, but they only work to mask the immediate symptoms rather than fixing the root of the problem. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are natural, drug-free therapies that work to find the underlying cause of the problem and can help reduce the number of overall headaches or to resolve them completely.

If you have a problem with headaches and are interested in acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy treatment options in the Boston area, please contact me.