Acupuncture to Relieve Headaches

Does your life seem to revolve around headaches? If so, acupuncture may be just what you need. Whether you suffer with tension headaches, cluster headaches or migraines, you can find relief by visiting a licensed acupuncturist. Acupuncture can alleviate pain and diminish the frequency of headaches.

Tension Headaches
Tension headaches have mild to moderate diffuse, dull pain. Sufferers may experience pressure along their foreheads and back of their heads. In addition, the neck and shoulder muscles can be tender. Tension headaches are mainly caused by stress.

Acupuncturists often apply needles to a point called Gall Bladder 20 (located at the base of the skull) to help alleviate the pain associated with tension headaches. Other local and distal point are chosen to relax the muscles in the face, neck and shoulders, thus diminishing the amount of tension and stress in the body.

Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches occur in clusters. This headache usually begins with intense, sharp, stabbing pain that can be debilitating. Unlike tension headaches, cluster headaches are only felt on one side of the head. Cluster headaches normally occur every day for weeks at a time.

The pain usually begins at approximately the same time each day and can last for as little as 15 minutes to as long as 3 hours. Most sufferers report that the headache usually begins an hour or two after retiring for the night.

Acupuncturists believe that pain occurs when energy is not properly flowing. The practitioner will insert needles along the shoulders, neck, ears and face to help restore the natural flow of Qi to relieve pain and prevent further headaches.

Migraines
Migraines cause a pulsing sensation coupled with throbbing pain on one area of the head. This type of headache is often accompanied by sensitivities to lights and sounds, nausea and vomiting. The pain can last for days and the only thing that helps is to lie down in a quiet room.

Acupuncture can be used to help relieve the symptoms of migraine headache and may help prevent them from recurring. If a patient comes in with a migraine, the acupuncturist may choose non-needle techniques such as cupping or gwa sha in addition to needles on arms, back, legs, feet and hands to help relieve the severe pain migraines bring. Points on the head may or may not be chosen to needle depending on the entirety of symptoms a patient is experiencing.

You can live a life free of constant headaches by incorporating acupuncture into your life. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat headaches. Several studies have shown that patients who suffer from frequent headaches can decrease the number of headaches dramatically with acupuncture. If you are ready to stop living with headaches, visit an acupuncturist to find relief of recurrent headaches.