HEADACHE DISORDERS INCLUDING MIGRAINES

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If you suffer from migraines or tension type headaches, you know how painful and debilitating these conditions can be. Read on to find out more about headache disorders and how acupuncture can help to treat and prevent migraine and some other headache disorders. 

There  are many different types of headache including migraine, tension-type  headache, cluster headache, and headache caused by over-use of  medication.

Let's take a look at Migraines:  
 

Migraine 

•  Is thought to be caused by activation of a mechanism deep in the  brain that leads to release of pain-producing inflammatory substances  around the nerves and blood vessels of the head
•  Is often life-long and occurs repeatedly anywhere between once  per week to once per year. It may be preceded by a visual or aural  disturbance called an aura
•  Some individuals may also experience hyperactivity, depression,  craving for particular foods and repetitive yawning before the headache  occurs 
•  Some also experience tension in the neck and/or fatigue 
•  Sometimes there is a relationship to a females menstrual cycle 

The repeated attacks typically include: 

•  A headache on one side, pulsating in quality, aggravated by  routine physical activity, of moderate to severe intensity, and lasts  for 4-72 hours 
•  A feeling of nausea and/or sensitivity to light and sound 
•  Abdominal symptoms, prominently in children (classified as abdominal migraine) 
•  Status migrainosus is a debilitating migraine attack that lasts for more than 72hrs 
•  Chronic migraines occur on 15 or more days per month for more  than 3 months in the absence of medication overuse (WHO, ICHD-3).  

Let's also take a brief look at tension headaches.   

Tension Headache

•  Occur on fewer than 15 days per month lasting a few hours to several days Chronic 
•  TTH occur more than 15 days per month affecting 1-3% of adults and are much more disabling 
•  Begin during teenage years affecting 3 women to every 2 men 
•  The mechanism is considered to be either stress related or due to musculoskeletal problems with the neck 
•  The quality of a TTH is a feeling of pressure each side of the  head, tightness, often like a band around the head, sometime spreading  into or from the neck
•  Are now also believed to have a neurobiological basis though the exact mechanisms are not known  (WHO, ICHD-3).
   

Acupuncture  is a tried and tested system of traditional medicine, used in China and  other eastern cultures for thousands of years to restore, promote and  maintain good health. Its benefits are now widely acknowledged all over  the world and in the past decade traditional acupuncture has begun to  feature more prominently in mainstream healthcare in the UK. The use of  acupuncture for migraines is now widely accepted and recommended on the NHS website, and by NICE for chronic pain including migraines. 

There have been many studies of the benefits of using acupuncture to  treat migraines, including some large controlled trials in recent years.  The results are quite consistent: acupuncture is considerably better  than no treatment/basic care for migraine, at least as effective as  prophylactic drug therapy and has few contraindications or unpleasant  side effects (Linde 2009, Wang 2008, Sun 2008, Scott 2008). It may be  used to alleviate acute attacks as well as for prevention (Li 2009).   
 

Many patients come to us for  help with chronic migraines and tension headaches. During the  consultation, our practitioner will enquire about things like: onset  duration and time, type of pain, location of pain, what makes it better,  what makes it worse. She will also ask about your diet, exercise,  lifestyle, sources of stress, and any other symptoms you may have, such  as neck and shoulder pain, auras, nausea, digestive problems, menstrual  cramps, eye pain.   
 

Our practitioner Helen Trill  will use this information to choose an appropriate course of treatment,  using well documented acupuncture point combinations for different  patterns, but will also use judgement, experience and knowledge of point  functions, channels and anatomy involved to choose additional points  both locally and at a distance that will be of benefit. The points used  in each treatment may change as the treatment progresses and the pattern  changes and starts to corrects itself.

Helen  sometimes uses cupping, moxa, electro-acupuncture, shiatsu and/or  sports massage to enhance the acupuncture treatments if appropriate.  Recommendations may also be made at the end of the consultation.

 'Many  of the people who come to me for acupuncture have been suffering from  migraines for some time, often years. They have tried all sorts of  medications and are now looking for a different approach. In many cases,  the muscles and fascia of the neck and shoulders are very tense and  tight - releasing this has proven to be an important part of the  treatment. I often use other techniques as well, such as cupping,  shiatsu or sports massage. Needles may be placed locally and also away  from the head, such as in the feet. One of the things we talk about in  the consultation is diet, as making some small changes there can make a  difference too. Providing an initial program of 8-10 weekly treatments  (typically), sometimes followed by periodic maintenance sessions,  usually provides our patients with lasting benefit'. Acupuncturist, Dr Helen Trill DipAc MAA RBAF
 

'I suffer from acute migraines, neck and upper back pain. I have been  taking medication for my migraines for years and they were increasing in  severity. Lots of tests had been done and my GP and I were looking at  possible medical intervention. Acupuncture was suggested and I was so  lucky to find Helen at Bubbling Spring Clinic. I booked a course of  treatments to begin with. Helen was professional, friendly and made me  feel at ease. Everything was explained clearly, as I was nervous and  didn't know what to expect. The treatment has really helped my  migraines, I have now reduced the amount of medication I was taking. I  feel so much better. I am now on a maintenance programme, having a  treatment every 6-8 weeks. I feel so much better and the treatment is  definitely helping me. The Clinic is immaculate and the whole experience  is so very relaxing. I highly recommend Helen.' - Lorna

'Helen was recommended to me through a family member as I have suffered from  migraines for a number of years. I have been on medication for a long  time but decided to try an alternative. I'm not the most confident of  people but I found Helen to be very patient, open and thoroughly  knowledgeable and she put me at ease. After a series sessions I have  found my migraines have ceased and any headaches I do get are now  manageable and infrequent. I cannot praise Helen and the service she  provides enough, and wouldn't hesitate in recommending Bubbling Spring  Acupuncture Clinic'. - Gabika   

WHO Headache Disorders Factsheet http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/headache-disorders (2016)  

ICHD-3 The International Classification of Headache Disorders : Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache 

NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/treatment/ 

NICE: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193/resources/visual-summary-pdf-9073473517 

Linde K et al. Acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009 Issue 1. Art.No.: CD001218. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001218.pub2.  

Wang YY, Zheng Z, Xue CCL Acupuncture for Migraine. Austral J Acupunc Chin Med 2008;3(1):1-16 

Sun Y, Gan TJ. Acupuncture for the management of chronic headache: a systematic review. Anesth Analg 2008;107:2038-47   

Scott SW, Deare JC. Acupuncture for migraine: a systematic review. Australian Journal of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine 2006;1:3-14. 

Li Y, Liang F, Yang X, Tian X et al.  Acupuncture for treating acute attacks of migraine: A randomized controlled trial. Headache. 2009; 49 (6) (pp 805-816)  

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