Migraine? Get to the point!

Naturopath Fiona Jennings looks at how acupuncture can help beat that killer headache

 Excellent article written by my colleague Fiona

Thud! Thud! Thud! A headache! We all know how bad that can feel. But what if it’s so intense you can barely move, maybe it’s one-sided, with nausea, visual disturbances or sensitivity to light or noise? Then chances are it could be a migraine. Migraine is the most common long-term neurological condition, and the most frequent type of headache that sends patients to their doctors.

Naturopath Fiona Jennings

No-one knows the exact cause and there are no tests. Diagnosis is made by history and the pattern of symptoms over time. Most researchers think migraine is due to abnormal changes in levels of substances naturally produced in the brain which cause blood vessels in the brain to swell and press on nearby nerves, causing pain. There may also be a genetic element involved – it does seem to run in families.

 So if you are a sufferer – and there about eight million people in the UK and half a million in Ireland who are, with three out of four being women – what can you do about it?

 We do know that people with migraines often react to a variety of factors and events, or triggers. Annoyingly, these triggers can vary from person to person and don’t always lead to migraine every time. A combination of triggers—not a single thing or event—is more likely to set off an attack, and a person’s response can vary from migraine to migraine. Keeping a migraine diary may help to identify your own triggers.

 The usual treatment is an impressive range of over the counter (OTC) or specific migraine drugs – with an even more impressive array of side effects.

 If you want to take a different approach to treat your symptoms, then consider this: many clinical studies support acupuncture to be effective for migraines, but without the side effects of drugs.

 Acupuncture came from China and the first textbook describing the use of acupuncture is thought to date back to about 200BC.

 Acupuncture aims to re-establish the correct flow of Qi (the life force) in the meridians which run throughout the body and so bring it back to the proper balance. Your practitioner will assess which of a large number of patterns of imbalance you have by detailed questioning and examination of your pulse and tongue.

 Needles will be inserted at specific points to influence your particular patterns, so each patient with migraine might receive a different number and distribution of needles. Intriguingly, while some of these may be where you might expect them – ie the head – in Traditional Chinese Medicine further away points can have the strongest impact. So, for example, commonly used points in many patterns of migraine would be a point called Tai Yang on the temples, but also Liver 3 (Taichong) which is on the foot, between the first and second toes and LI4 (Hegu) on the hand between the thumb and index finger (not to be used in pregnancy).

If you are being treated by a naturopath, you may also be advised to try herbs or supplements which have been shown to be effective for migraines. These include Butterbur (Petasites hybridus), Riboflavin, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), Feverfew, and Magnesium.

• Fiona Jennings is a Naturopath & Acupuncturist with a practice in Belfast.