While the advances of modern medicine have done some great good, it’s difficult to argue with treatment methods that date back thousands of years. Acupuncture is one such treatment that works holistically with your body to restore your natural balance and energy. From quitting smoking to reducing chronic migraines, people are finding this all-natural therapy to be very effective.
At Premier Chiropractic, we want to help our patients in Pearland, Texas, find long-term solutions to chronic medical issues such as migraines. Rather than masking your headache pain through medications, we believe that the human body has the resources necessary to heal from within. We just need to tap them better, and this is what acupuncture accomplishes.
Here’s a look at how acupuncture can alleviate migraines, allowing you to ditch the drugs and enjoy a life without the pain.
Ancient wisdom
It’s believed that acupuncture originated in China as early as 6000 BC, although there is some dispute as to exactly how long ago it was first used. Suffice it to say that the practice has been around for millennia and has been used to treat everything from organ malfunction to mental health problems.
The idea behind acupuncture is that your body contains a number of meridians that control the flow of positive energy in your body. When these meridians are blocked, it prevents your body from functioning as it should, throwing up hurdles to your healing qi, or life force. By inserting very thin needles along certain points in your meridian, we can unblock and rebalance your flow of qi.
Acupuncture and migraines
Migraines are historically a tough condition to treat. This is largely because their origins are still unclear, although researchers have uncovered strong ties between your neurological and metabolic systems.
For example, many researchers believe that migraines are caused by problems in your brain stem and how it interacts with your trigeminal nerve, which is a major pathway for pain. Imbalances in the chemicals in your brain, especially serotonin, may also play a role, as can hormonal imbalances.
Acupuncture works by deactivating the primary pain signals and activating other areas in your brain that mute pain signals. And the numbers do indicate that it works: The American Migraine Foundation reports that in 22 clinical trials involving 4,985 migraine sufferers, acupuncture reduced the frequency of migraine headaches by half or more in 59% of those treated, and they had this same reduction six months into the treatments.
Putting acupuncture into practice
Our acupuncture specialists have spent years studying how different points on your body can bring relief from a number of painful conditions, including migraines. When you come in, we discuss your condition and symptoms and review which acupuncture points might be most effective.
The needles themselves are extremely thin, and most of our patients feel nothing more than a very mild prick, if they feel anything at all. Once the needles are in place, you simply relax and let your qi flow again. The entire process takes between 30-60 minutes, after which time you’re free to get on with your day.
If you’re tired of ineffective drugs that do nothing to curb your migraines, give acupuncture a try. Simply give us a call or use the online scheduling tool to set up an appointment to get your energy flowing correctly again.