How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure

A health article about How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure from Migraine & Headache Problems the A to Z directory of
dealing with Health Problems & nutritional
Self Care Strategies

Acupuncture and Migraine is a sophisticated medicine for a complicated disease.

Acupuncture is good not only for the headache, but for the various types of migraine auras, AND for preventing migraines. Also, you can use the points I'll suggest below to give yourself acupressure at home for free!

Acupuncture and migraine treatment, like all acupuncture, is based on the principles and theories of Chinese medicine.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, the causes are emotional excesses (stress, long-term emotional disturbance, even just long-term frustration!), dietary imbalance (too much of the wrong foods and too little of the right ones), and the deficiencies inherent in the aging process can lead to the symptoms of migraine.

Acupuncture points may be different for acute attacks, and for prevention. There is acupuncture to treat, for example, a one-sided headache, and then a slightly different acupuncture to treat the susceptibility to stress that causes it.

Acupuncture - The Pain "Reset Button"
A neurologist told us in a guest lecture at my alma mater, the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, that acupuncture is the best therapy for chronic pain. He said that chronic pain signals can get 'grooved in' to the brain. That means that even after the real problem has been totally eliminated, the brain may still be "echoing" pain signals to us. This fits with Oliver Sach’s observation that migraine is like a neurological configuration or ‘frame of mind’ or arrangement that the migraineur keeps falling into.

Acupuncture can act as a 'reset button' to end these echoes of pain. The sooner you get acupuncture, the better, because the longer the pain is there, the more difficult it is to change.

In Chinese Medicine, we diagnose each patient according to what is called a pattern of imbalance, a group of symptoms. There are 5 basic patterns involved in migraines, but real people are complex and may have several patterns going on at the same time.

Let’s take a look at acupuncture and migraine in terms of the 5 patterns mentioned by Bob Flaws and Philippe Sionneau in their “Treatment of Modern Western Medical Diseases in TCM.” Acupuncture is much more effective than acupressure, but in case you want to try out some of these points on yourself, you can massage them. Check out this link for the locations of these acupuncture and migraine points.

Migraine pattern #1 – Liver depression, qi and blood deficiency
This is basically stress and frustration with bodily depletion. Common symptoms of this type of migraine include one sided headache, blurred vision, numbness and tingling of the fingers, emotional depression, stress, fatigue, and menstrual irregularities. Acupuncture and migraine for this type might include points like Liv3, LI4 or linggu, P6, GB20, GB39, and GB43.

Migraine pattern #2 – Ascendant Liver yang
This migraine includes dizziness, sudden anger, light sensitivity, and ringing ears. Liver yang rises when the liver yin is deficient – and that happens over time from kidney yin deficiency, which can be due to overwork, too much sex, or too many warm herbs like ginseng and other sexual tonics. Too much coffee over a long period of time could contribute to this pattern, too (many people insist that coffee helps their migraines, and it can, but only temporarily. It may make underlying problems worse at the same time). Acupuncture and migraine for this type might include Liv2, K3, K6, GB39, and GB43.

Migraine pattern #3 – Cold reversal pattern
This migraine features pain at the top of the head, feeling of chill during attack, vomiting clear liquids, and a sensitivity to wind. This is a sudden attack of migraine only. It happens when the influences of stress (liver) attack the digestion (spleen). Acupuncture and migraine here might include moxa on ST36, Ren6, Du20, K7, and needling P6 and Ren13.

Migraine pattern #4 – Phlegm reversal pattern
This headache comes with dizziness, heavy-headedness, the feeling like there’s a tight band wrapped around the head, vomiting of phlegm, stuffiness in the chest, and a lack of appetite. It’s a severe complication of digestive deficiency. Phlegm comes from dampness, which is a diseased fluid problem due to poor digestion. Acupuncture and migraine to remedy this would be points like ST40, Sp9, L5, and ST36.

Migraine pattern #5 – Blood stasis obstructing the network vessels
This is a stubborn, stabbing headache that doesn’t change locations. It may be due to injury to the head, or blood may have stagnated due to qi stagnation. Points that fix this one are LI4, Sp6, SP10, and Liv3.

Acupressure resources- you can check out a free acupressure chart on my website at http://pulsemed.org/free-acupressure-chart.htm

What is a Migraine?
It is estimated that up to 26 million Americans suffer from Migraine headaches and it is considered one of the top reasons for missed work and loss of production. Among these, 8 million suffer from debilitating pain every year. These attacks render them incapacitated to the point that they can no longer perform their daily activities.

In fact, about 60 million work days are collectively lost every year, costing the United States some 17 billion dollars because of the lost time and medical expenses. More women than men suffer from migraine.

A debilitating Migraine headache can last from 4 to 72 hours and can be accompanied by intense pain, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, vertigo, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. After affects of a migraine can leave the sufferer drained and without energy accompanied by a low grade headache with oversensitivity to light and sound and can last for another 24 hours.

Most Migraine headaches sufferers cannot identify what triggers the headaches and a long and varied list exists that differs with each individual. The same factors do not necessarily trigger a Migraine on a consistent basis either. Statistically, women are more prone to Migraines than men with claims that the decline in estrogen during menstruation is the trigger and the onset can begin immediately to a few days delay.

Though all migraines are headaches, all headaches are not migraines. There can be many causes like high blood pressure, cervical spondylosis and poor eyesight being a few. So every one with headaches should not think he is suffering from migraine.

The broad criterion of diagnosis is if you have two or more of the following symptoms during a attack it is probable you are suffering from migraine
(To read the rest of this article click on the Title above here.)

to “Your Health Success”
our monthly F’R’E’E’ Newsletter

Back to Top of How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure page

Subscribe to “Your Health Success” newsletter
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Site Map

============================================================================
SITE DISCLAIMER: Do these products “cure” anything? Of course not… but it stands to reason that if you cleanse your body and feed it the finest nutrition available, giving it everything it needs in balance, on a daily basis, that your body will do what nature intended, and give you the best possible chance to fend off sickness and disease. This How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
The How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure resources on this site are not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. While all attempts have been made to verify How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the web site How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure subject matter herein. The site How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure contents are solely the opinion of the authors and should not be considered as a form of advice, direction and/or recommendation of any kind. If expert advice or counseling is needed, services of a competent professional should be sought. The author and the Publisher assume no responsibility or liability and specifically disclaim any warranty, express or implied for any How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure products or services mentioned, or any techniques or How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure practices described.
The purchaser or reader of thi How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure s publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Neither the author nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these How to Treat Your Migraines Yourself with Acupressure materials. There is no guarantee of validity of accuracy. Any perceived slight of specific people or organizations is unintentional. This website and its creators are not responsible for the content of any sites linked to. Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."
============================================================================

Back to Top of page