Did you know this week is Migraine Awareness Week?
I am amazed at the number of migraine sufferers that come to my clinic looking for relief from this debilitating condition. According to the Migraine Trust, 1 in 7 in the population suffer from some form of migraine.
Luckily, it is one of the conditions which responds really well to acupuncture. I have been able to improve the quality of life of many patients who, after having a course of acupuncture, have dramatically reduced the severity and frequency of their migraines.
In fact, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that patients are offered a course of up to 10 acupuncture treatments to prevent a migraine, if neither topiramate nor propranolol works well.
Acupuncture is a safe and effective option to taking medication. This was demonstrated in a systematic review of acupuncture for migraines (Cochrane, 2016), included 4,985 participants in 25 randomised controlled trials, firmly placing it among the most well-studied treatments.
It found that receiving acupuncture reduced migraine frequency in sufferers. It also showed that acupuncture may be at least similarly effective as treatment with prophylactic drugs. Acupuncture can be considered an option for patients willing to undergo this treatment, the review concluded.
There are 7 reasons why you should treat migraines with acupuncture.
- It provides pain relief – by stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, acupuncture leads to release of endorphins and other neurohumoral factors and changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord (Zhao 2008, Pomeranz, 2001)
- It reduces inflammation- increasingly there is evidence that inflammation is associated with a migraine. Acupuncture promotes the release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors that can counter this (Kim, 2008; Kavoussi, 2007; Zijlstra, 2003).
- It reduces the degree of cortical spreading depression – Thi is an electrical wave in the brain associated with a migraine. (Shi, 2010).
- It reduces plasma levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance – These are pain-signaling neuropeptides that may be implicated in the pathophysiology of a migraine. (Shi, 2010).
- It modulates extracranial and intracranial blood flow – changes in cranial blood flow don’t necessarily initiate migraine pain but may contribute to it. (Park, 2009)
- It affects serotonin levels in the brain – serotonin may be linked both to the initiation of migraines and to the relief of acute attacks (through triptans, drugs that promote seretonin levels). (Zhong, 2007)
- It increases local microcirculation – This aids the dispersal of swelling. (Komori, 2009)
Please get in touch if you would like further information.
