Treating Migraines and Headaches with Acupuncture in Hassocks
A significant proportion of people in the UK suffer from recurrent migraines and/or headaches, and they occur more often in women than in men. There are many different types of headaches including:
Migraine with aura
Migraine without aura
Vestibular migraine
Menstrual migraines or headaches
Tension headaches
Sinus headaches
Cluster headaches
Having regular headaches or migraines can be an irritation at best and for some people, they can be quite debilitating, greatly affecting their quality of life. Headaches and migraines can last for several days at a time and strike without an obvious trigger. Sufferers often have headaches or migraines multiple times a month, and they can often be triggered by the menstrual cycle, perimenopause or menopause.
What causes headaches and migraines?
The causes of headaches are as varied as the people who suffer with them, however a major cause is stress and overwhelm. People often lead lives which are so busy trying to balance work with children and commitments to friends and family that their central nervous systems operate on a daily basis in ‘Fight or Flight’ mode. This can really take a toll on their health, with headaches and migraines being a common symptom. Other causes of headaches and migraines include diet, hormonal imbalance, neck issues, eye issues, side-effects of medications, alcohol & lack of sleep, although stress is the underlying cause in many of these ‘causes’ also!
How does Traditional Chinese Medicine understand Migraines or Headaches?
From a Traditional Chinese Medical point of view, headaches are usually caused by an issue with the Liver Organ System (not directly comparable to the Western physical liver). The Liver Organ System is responsible for the smooth flow of energy around the body, from one organ to another. When the flow of this energy becomes disrupted (typically through medium to long term stress, poor lifestyle, poor diet or medication) the energy starts to stagnate. If the stagnation is not relieved (via acupuncture for example) we begin to get a kind of pressure-cooker effect within the Liver Organ System, and the ‘stuck’ energy starts to create heat. As we all know, heat rises, and so it often rises to the head, causing headaches or migraines.
Other symptoms we are likely to notice are feelings of anger, feeling easily frustrated or irritable. Low mood and depression are also common, as are dry mouth/throat/eyes, sleep issues, digestive issues such as bloating, heartburn and menstrual or menopausal issues.
Can acupuncture help with migraines and headaches?
Yes! It is well documented that acupuncture can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of both headaches and migraines. In fact, I expect every patient I see who presents with headaches or migraines to see a significant reduction in both time between headaches, the duration of the headaches and the severity of the headaches. In my clinical experience as an acupuncturist, my patients tend to start seeing a reduction in symptoms within 1-3 sessions, with hormonal headaches taking slightly longer due to the time taken for hormones to rebalance.
How does acupuncture help with migraines and headaches?
From a western physiological perspective, acupuncture benefits the body in myriad ways, including: calming the central nervous system, releasing endorphins and other feel-good chemicals such as oxytocin, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system (used when we sleep, digest and heal), regulating hormones, promoting blood flow and much more.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doesn’t treat the symptoms or the western “cause”, rather it looks for the underlying imbalance(s) in the body which need to be corrected, and works to correct them by using acupuncture to move energy in the body from one place to another, depending on where the excesses or deficiencies are, thus creating balance. Once the underlying imbalance(s) have been fully resolved, the problem goes away. Acupuncture is one excellent tool that TCM has at its disposal to help with this rebalancing, Chinese Herbal Medicine is another (as is dietary and lifestyle advice).
How can I find out more about how Acupuncture Hassocks can help with migraines or headaches?
To find out more about how Katie at Acupuncture Hassocks can help with headaches, or to book an appointment:
call or text Katie on 07854 987806
email acupuncturehassocks@gmail.com.
fill in the contact form below
Where is Acupuncture Hassocks based?
All treatments are carried out at Acupuncture Hassocks Clinic based in Hassocks, West Sussex. The clinic is near to Hassocks train station, so is easily reachable from Brighton, Burgess Hill or Haywards Heath. If you are travelling by car from Hurstpierpoint, Ditchling or surrounding areas, there is free on road parking.
