Acupuncture For Migraines
Acupuncture for migraines may help in relieving your pain when modern medicine cannot. You’ll find that acupuncture is one of the most famous natural pain relief treatments in the world. The practice started in China but is now widely available for your convenience. The treatment involves inserting tiny needles in your body to hit specific areas for pain relief. Acupuncturists believe energy disturbances in your body cause illness and pain.
Benefits
Findings dictate that getting acupuncture treatment can reduce the frequency of your headaches by 50%. You can also enjoy these effects for the next six months.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
Acupuncture balances your energy, known as qi, along your meridians. Your acupuncturist will place needles at specific pressure points, usually along your neck or back, to slow pain transmission. You might even get a gentle head massage during the insertion of needles. The session usually takes an hour of your time. The recommended frequency for your acupuncture treatment is once a week for at least six weeks. Dietary changes are also part of your treatment.
Acupuncture activates the pathways in your brain that turn pain off. Another theory states that acupuncture causes micro-injuries, which causes your body to respond by releasing endorphins. These endorphins are natural painkillers that relieve your pain without side effects.
Patient Experiences
Acupuncture affects you and others differently for many reasons. Factors like physiology, diet, and skill of the acupuncturist are just some of the factors that may affect your results.
- Some people experience long-lasting pain relief.
- Others experience a decrease in their level of pain.
- Interestingly, some people experience pain relief for the other parts of their body instead of the intended target.
- Finally, others feel relaxed but do not get any pain relief from their migraines.
One thing to note is that acupuncture requires your patience and commitment to work. You won’t always get pain relief within the first session, which is why you need a session a week for six weeks. The acupuncturist will need to make adjustments to your treatment to find out what works for your case. Commit to making changes in your lifestyle to help your treatment.
Acupuncture can also be used as a complementary treatment for your migraines. Practitioners of acupuncture will often offer you lifestyle advice to either lessen the pain or increase the treatment’s effectiveness. You may also receive herbs to help your recovery process.
Diagnosis
You will need a consultation to allow your acupuncturist to diagnose what exactly ails you. The acupuncturist will take your pulse and examine your tongue to see how best to treat your migraine.
Due Diligence
You must do your due diligence before undergoing acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture can be a potent treatment against migraines, but it can have terrible side effects if you don’t pick the right practitioner.
Below are some tips to help you pick the best practitioner
Referrals
Get referrals from your doctor, friends, and family for reputable acupuncturists.
Licensing
An acupuncture license is required to tell you that the practitioner can actually perform acupuncture. Checking the license is half of your due diligence, the other half is checking their history. Look for malpractice or disciplinary incidents for your acupuncturist. Make sure they have a clean record for your safety.
Insurance
Check if you have coverage for acupuncture sessions to help you pay the bill.
Needles
Make sure your acupuncturist uses new needles on you and not sterilized ones. There are one-time use needles, and that is what you want to prevent diseases.
In conclusion, getting acupuncture for migraines can be beneficial for a safe and natural way of treating your migraines. Before starting your acupuncture treatment, you must learn about acupuncture. Learn its benefits, how it works, patient experiences, diagnosis, and due diligence to make an informed decision.