Acupuncture for Migraines
Are frequent migraine episodes preventing you from taking a more active role in your daily routine? Are you tired of sitting on the sidelines in pain while life passes you by?
Regain control of your health and eliminate your debilitating headaches naturally. With regular sessions, acupuncture for migraines can be an effective treatment strategy that allows you to finally find relief.
Migraines are one of the most debilitating conditions out there, and yet, it is startlingly common. It’s estimated that 13% of the U.S. population suffers from migraine episodes, with the average age of onset in late adolescence and early adulthood. Yet in spite of the fact that migraines are so prevalent, there has been little progress made in terms of treatment.
Conventional medicine’s approach to treating migraines is pretty much the same now as it was ten, twenty, or even thirty years ago, and it involves the use of pain medications. When over-the-counter stuff like Tylenol and Ibuprofen stop working, doctors prescribe even stronger meds like Vicodin to give migraine sufferers a band-aid fix for their symptoms.
But this approach almost never works. And there are several reasons why.
To begin with, prescription pain meds shouldn’t be relied upon as a long-term solution to a condition because, well, they aren’t really a solution at all! These medications don’t address the underlying cause of migraine. They just help mask the discomfort. Plus, they take a serious toll on your liver, hindering your body’s ability to detox, and allowing toxins to build up in your bloodstream where they can wreak even more havoc on your health.
Second, migraine isn’t an issue of pain per se. Even though migraine can cause excruciating discomfort, it is considered a neurological condition, one in which a patient's brain chemistry and neurotransmitter function has been altered. Since the underlying cause of migraine isn’t necessarily inflammation, pain medications aren’t always an effective treatment for them, even in the short term.
What makes migraines different than headaches?
Migraines are more than just bad headaches. They’re debilitating episodes that can leave you down for the count for days, sometimes even weeks in the most severe cases. Migraine episodes are typically accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, including gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea and vomiting, as well as visual disturbances, including seeing colors, lines, shapes, and auras.
Migraine patients may feel dizzy in the days leading up to a migraine. They can also experience a loss of coordination, difficulty finding the right words, and a frustrating inability to focus on basic tasks. Again, all of these are signs of neurotransmitter imbalances, not necessarily inflammation.
Let’s talk about neurotransmitters for a minute, shall we? Just so you can see how important these chemical brain messengers are to your health.
Migraines are associated with low levels of one of the body’s most important neurotransmitters: serotonin. Made from the amino acid tryptophan, serotonin plays a critical role in a variety of bodily systems, from cognitive function to digestive, metabolic, and sexual health. The body relies on adequate levels of serotonin to help us empty our bowels, vomit when we have food poisoning, heal our everyday cuts and scrapes, and get restful sleep at night.
Of course, serotonin is best known as a mood booster because it also helps us feel calm and at ease. Serotonin improves our outlook on life, keeping us feeling upbeat and happy. It’s what puts us in touch with our inner optimists. But, when serotonin levels are low, we feel anxious, depressed, and pessimistic, like we’re living under a dark cloud.
One interesting thing to note about migraine is that patients often report symptoms similar to serotonin deficiency. Migraine is associated with a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and mood dysregulation. It’s also sometimes accompanied by motion sickness, which, interestingly enough, is tied to serotonin deficiency as well.
If any of these symptoms are resonating with you, you may be feeling like all of the pieces of your health puzzle are finally falling into place. But how does acupuncture fit into all of this? How can acupuncture for migraines help you get back on your feet?
How does acupuncture help migraine patients?
Acupuncture has been used for centuries to support a balanced mood. The analgesic effects of acupuncture extend beyond the physical to improve your mental symptoms too.
Studies show that acupuncture influences the way the brain metabolizes serotonin, improving serotonin reception. Acupuncture also has a regulatory effect on other mood-enhancing neurotransmitters, like endorphins and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The uptick in all of these feel-good chemicals has a cascade of benefits.
Not only does this acupuncture-induced rise in serotonin make you feel better emotionally, allowing you to finally conquer stress, but it also helps your brain fight off all of the symptoms associated with migraine episodes.
Say goodbye to dizziness, visual disturbances, fatigue, and brain fog. Get ready to toss those prescription pain meds in the trash where they belong, and enjoy the all-natural holistic healing that acupuncture has to offer. Who would’ve thought that a few thin little needles had what it takes to finally kick your migraine episodes to the curb?
It sounds almost too good to believe, but it’s true. Regular acupuncture sessions have the ability to improve the way your brain uses serotonin, restoring proper neurotransmitter function. This alone is enough to reduce the severity and frequency of your migraine episodes, so you can finally find out what it’s like to live life pain-free.
It’s worth mentioning that the stress-busting benefits of acupuncture can help migraine patients address their triggers as well. Maybe pressure from work or personal relationships is what contributes to your migraines. Or maybe you carry tension in your muscles, and that makes your migraine episodes worse. In either case, acupuncture can help ameliorate the effects of these triggers so they’ll no longer be triggers at all.
Migraine can be overwhelming, and the prospect of treating this condition can seem insurmountable at times. But you don’t have to surrender yourself to a life of pain.
Let the centuries-old practice of acupuncture help alleviate your migraine symptoms, just as it has offered relief for thousands of patients before you. Schedule your first appointment at our clinic in Union Square NYC today. At Beth Conroy Acupuncture, we’ll help you witness for yourself how acupuncture can transform your health for the better.