Are you like me? Acupuncture for Migraines – A Patient Story
Some years ago a client told me her story when she came for acupuncture for migraines. She gave me permission to post her notes to me.
Migraines have plagued me since I was young. The medical doctors haven’t really understood the pain I’m in. It’s a rare day I don’t have a migraine. Until recently I always thought they were all the same migraine but Debra helped me understand I actually get three different kinds of headaches. This is my story how acupuncture for migraines worked for me.
Every night like clockwork I awoke somewhere between 1 am and 4 am with a splitting headache. You too? I know me too. So you try a different pillow, in fact, you go on a pillow search for the best night’s sleep only to continue to have migraines or whatever these head pains are. It wasn’t my pillow.
Hormonal Headaches
Then there’s the big one; the mother of all migraines. It comes on one to three times a month and it’s called hormonal headaches. Some doctors told me it was my period, but then why do you have it when you’re not on your period?
Of course, I did the allergy test thing. They put me on a few drugs and the headaches kept coming. Sound familiar? It got to be for me that my week was made up of watching for my head to hurt. Then I tried acupuncture for my migraines.
When I began acupuncture, it took a while for the pain to go away. At first I just had a night here and there without a migraine.
Acupuncture For Migraines Is Natural Cure
While the Chinese names didn’t mean a thing to me, I understood that my body had gotten so toxic with all the drugs I was on that we needed to also do a homeopathic detoxification and cleanse. It made a big difference. Not only did the middle of the night headaches disappear with acupuncture I noticed that my sinuses began to clear up as I detoxified by body.
It had taken about two months before I realized that I wasn’t planning my week around my migraines anymore. Dr. Deb explained that I carry my stress in my shoulders and neck; these middle of the night headaches were becoming migraines during the day. This made sense for me because after a treatment when I had a raging migraine at the back of my head I got off the table and the pain was gone! Acupuncture keeps me relaxed and the tension in my neck and back gone without these triggers I don’t have daily migraines like before.
My hormones played a part too. When they switch on and off as she put it, like when I start or stop my period, and when I ovulate effects progesterone and estrogen levels and that is leading to the big migraines that lay me out for days. The combination of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture has my hormonal headaches gone now for over ten years. The side benefits of no PMS symptoms are cool too.
Sinus Problems And Migraines
The sinus congestion trigger proved to be the toughest. Do you feel like a weather barometer? I know the feeling, watching the sun disappear behind a cloud overhead and pow! A migraine. Have you ever noticed you can be standing on the sunny side of the street but if you walk over to the area where the rain clouds are forming you start to get a headache! This was me, every time.
Now it’s better, of course I know I have weather induced migraines but over the last twelve months of doing acupuncture these are fewer than last year.
While I still have an occasional headache every few months, I don’t get them daily and my life is my own now. Even my husband noticed that I am ready to go do outdoor activities or make plans without worrying about getting a headache.
It’s exciting to me to travel without being concerned about getting sick headaches and missing out on the fun or being on business travel with pain. Acupuncture for migraines helped me and that is why I shared my experience.
Sincerely,
N. B.
I have mingraines on my period is this the hormone one?
Thank you Mary for writing. Migraines that happen when you are on your period usually are caused by imbalances in hormones. You don’t say your age or other things like are your periods easy or if they are regular. Let us know or call our office; I am happy to talk with you.
I think my headaches are food allergies can anyone tell me? I get them after I drink wine or eat red meat. They both are red too.
Hi Margerte – it’s possible that they both have red food dye. What kind of meat are you eating? is it grass feed or grain feed? The red wine doesn’t usually contain dye. Let’s talk so I can help you solve this.
I live outside the States half the year and by this doctor the other half and my migraines got better. I had to do some acupuncture but now I just do coaching since I live in Canada too.