HOW TO TREAT MIGRAINES PERMANENTLY

Migraine is a common and intermittent neurovascular disease characterized by moderate to severe and recurrent headaches, often accompanied by symptoms of the autonomic nervous system. Migraine presents as a headache lasting from 4 to 72 hours, is throbbing, of moderate to severe intensity, and unilateral. It can be caused by vasoconstriction in the arterial blood flow of the brain and scalp.

They are often severe enough to limit daily activities, including your ability to work, study, be with family, or be outside.

Conventional treatment involves:

• Avoiding risk factors for migraines, such as obesity, lack of exercise, and stress.

• Avoiding possible migraine trigger stimuli, such as caffeine and alcohol.

• Use of prophylactic, abortive, and analgesic medications:

  • Prophylactics: are prescribed to patients who have more than one migraine per week and need long-term treatment.

  • Abortives: are used when the patient has acute, severe, intense, or persistent migraines. Generally, they can only be taken once every 24 hours.

  • Analgesics: Generally, it consists of a combination of an analgesic, an antiemetic, and other ingredients.

Usually, it starts at a low dose and gradually increases over time until the patient feels some relief, experiences side effects, or reaches the maximum dose. These medications take at least three to four weeks and can take up to 12 weeks to become effective. They are rarely 100% effective in preventing migraines. A 50% reduction in headaches is considered a good result.

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IF MEDICATIONS FROM ANY OF THESE THREE CATEGORIES ARE CONSUMED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, THEY WILL CERTAINLY CAUSE ADVERSE EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY ABORTIVES.

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Although abortive therapy is known for its effectiveness, some patients complain that if the medications are taken for long periods of time, migraines appear more frequently. This is one of the reasons why patients seek some form of complementary or alternative medicine.

ACUPUNCTURE IS BENEFICIAL IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE HEADACHES AND IS POSSIBLY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PROPHYLACTIC DRUG TREATMENT. IN ADDITION, ITS PREVENTIVE EFFECTS, WITHOUT ADVERSE EFFECTS, ALLOW FOR LONG-LASTING AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE RESULTS.

Migraine is one of the most common symptom i see in clinic and is one of the most frequently treated Health problem, especially because it responds so well to acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Main causes of headaches and migraines

1. Inherited genetic constitution depends on three aspects:

• the overall health of the parents

• the parents' health at the time of conception

• the mother's pregnancy conditions

Any of these factors can affect the development of the fetus and later manifest as one of the causes of migraines. Persistent and recurrent headaches starting in childhood (between 7 and 10 years old) are one of the main indicators.

2. Emotional factors are extremely frequent causes of migraines. Whether it's anger, worry, fear, traumatic shocks, or excessive mental effort.

3. Excessive work without proper rest is currently the most common cause of migraines in Western society.

4. Excessive sexual activity may be one of the causes of migraines in men, because of the lost of sperm. Patients with symptoms of headache and dizziness after sexual intercourse should certainly moderate sexual activity.

5. Irregular eating habits can affect different organs and cause migraines:

• Not eating enough;

• Overeating (to the point of causing reflux or vomiting);

• Excessive consumption of hot thermal foods (spices, red meat, alcohol);

• Excessive consumption of fatty, processed, sweet, dairy, salty, or acidic foods;

• Eating after sunset;

• Food intolerances or sensitivities;

• Excessive consumption of caffeine and cocoa.

6. Severe accidents and falls that affect the head may be the cause of migraines, which can arise many years after the accident. They can manifest after strong emotional stimuli, such as anger and frustration, or THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANY other organic imbalances.

7. CHILDBirths very close together, abortions, and abrupt losses of blood during childbirth may be the cause of migraines.

8. Environmental exposure to wind, cold, and humidity, mainly in the neck region, can cause stiffness of the cervical muscles and cause the onset of migraines.

ENERGETIC DIAGNOSIS

The location of the pain indicates which acupuncture meridians are affected and determines the acupuncture points used in the treatment.

Pain intensity: Generally, a dull pain, stabbing or empty sensation indicates a chronic condition, while a throbbing pain accompanied by muscle tension or a feeling of heaviness can indicate an acute condition. It is important to always take into consideration the intensity, frequency and duration of the headache. Migraines can be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea with or without vomiting, and sensitivity to light and/or sound.

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During THE CONSULTATION, OTHER FACTORS THAT May INFORMe about the root cause OF the HEADACHES ARE DISCUSSED, SUCH AS THE TIME OF DAY THEY OCCUR, WHETHER THEY IMPROVE OR WORSEN WITH REST, THE WEATHER, EMOTIONS, SEXUAL ACTIVITY, DIET, POSTURE, MENSTRUATION, AND COMPRESSION.

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Treatment Plan

To enhance and maximize the therapeutic effects of Chinese medicine, I usually combine acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine and other treatment methods if necessary. At the same time, it is important to consider the patient's financial capacity in relation to the number of treatment sessions.

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine:

• Mild to moderate migraines that occur every month, often associated with the menstrual cycle.

• Migraines accompanied by stress, muscular tension in the neck or cervical spine pathologies. Migraines accompanied by premenstrual tension and/or menopause.

Acupuncture Only:

• Relatively mild, infrequent migraines.

• The patient is receiving another type of complementary therapy that is not completely effective, such as chiropractic, homeopathy, etc.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Only:

• When the patient has tried acupuncture but is not convinced it is working, or is afraid of needles, or when their choice is limited due to financial constraints.

• Herbal medicine is extremely important when migraines are intense, severe, and/or persistent.

Acupuncture and Tui Na Massage:

• If the migraine is triggered by a cervical spine pathology, muscular tension in the neck, stress, depression, anxiety, etc., the combination of acupuncture and Tui Na massage will provide the patient with greater relief.

I believe that Chinese medicine treatment methods are better than conventional prophylactic drugs for long-term use, are similar or better than analgesics during a migraine attack, but not as effective as abortive medications in extremely acute attacks. The best plan is to use Chinese medicine as the first line of treatment and take migraine abortive medications if necessary during the initial phases of treatment and gradually reduce their use until they are no longer needed.

In terms of Western medicine, the vast majority of headaches are due to functional disorders without significant pathology. Many of these cases are treatable with acupuncture. However, when a patient presents a recent history of persistent headaches but no history of similar headaches, they should seek a diagnosis from Western medicine, as it could be a more serious Problem (such as a brain tumor). Although rare, it is important to consider this possibility.

If you are looking for a natural treatment method or you're interested in reducing and eventually eliminating the medication, I am available to discuss the best treatment plan for you.

How can I help you?

References

• The Treatment of headaches and Migraine by acupuncture by Dan Jiang. Journal of Chinese Medicine • number 35 • January 1991

• Management of Migraine Using Traditional Chinese Medicine by Dan Jiang Journal of Chinese Medicine • number 76 • october 2004

• Treatment of Chronic Refractory Migraine with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine: A Case Series Journal of Chinese Medicine • Number 110 • February 2016

• The Practice of Chinese Medicine: The Treatment of Diseases using Acupunture and Chinese Herbs by Giovanni Maciocia 1994 edition