Acupuncture can help break the cycle of pain of a migraine because it works simultaneously with the musculature, the circulatory and the nervous system.

By Kathleen Kenneally, LAc, LMP, LMHC

August 2008

Oh, your aching head! All you want is for it to stop--and acupuncture can help. But first, a little background on what's causing all that throbbing.

Migraines are loosely defined as lateralized (one-sided) throbbing headaches. Other common symptoms include light and sound sensitivity, numbness and tingling, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting. Migraines have been linked to excessive dilation of the external carotid artery. Some 28 million Americans--about one in 10--suffer from migraines. Almost half are undiagnosed.

The World Health Organization has recognized acupuncture as effective for migraines since 1979. Even so, as often is the case with medical topics, some controversy surrounds acupuncture's efficacy for treating migraines. Some scientific studies support this while others show no statistical significance. This article provides two recent studies that demonstrate acupuncture's clinical effectiveness in treating migraines.

As recently as March 2008 in the journal Headache, Italian researchers published a study concerning 160 migraine patients receiving acupuncture or a placebo. The research found that the group of patients receiving acupuncture showed significant improvement in symptom reduction. Patients in the study also used less medication.

In a 2004 report published in the online British Medical Journal 1, Acupuncture was a cost effective, useful treatment for chronic headaches, specifically migraines. Patients who received regular acupuncture sessions over a 12-month period had fewer headaches. They reported missing fewer days of work, made fewer visits to a general practitioner, used less medication and had a higher quality of life than the control group.

My own clinical experience has been that acupuncture makes a huge difference for people suffering from migraines and various forms of headaches. The musculature of the back, neck and scalp often tighten up in the presence of head pain. Patients often describe this as a "gripping" sensation and can point to an area or knot that lies in the crossfire of tight muscles. As such, manual release of the tissues through gentle cupping or hands-on work, such as shiatsu or tui na, produces reliable, immediate relief for migraine sufferers. During painful episodes, I recommend that patients with migraines be treated twice a week. The pain is likened to a whistling teakettle, where the shrill ache can be quieted with one treatment but the "water" is still boiling. A second weekly session acts as a palliative and a preventative treatment during acute or emergent episodes.

Acupuncture needles can be applied locally in the area of head pain and in the arms, hands, legs and feet. Acupuncture needles are not usually painful, but some patients occasionally report a momentary, mildly uncomfortable sensation when the needles are inserted. The overall pain threshold of the body seems to be lower during a migraine.

Migraine sufferers usually do not mind the slight discomfort of acupuncture needles since they realize the treatment is effective in reducing symptoms. Recently a first-time client at the beginning of a migraine reported a 50 percent reduction in pain after her initial treatment. Acupuncture needles are thought to help regulate blood flow relieving imbalances in the circulatory system. Application of these threadlike "needles" also releases endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers. Acupuncture can help break the cycle of pain of a migraine because it works simultaneously with the musculature, the circulatory and the nervous system.

Reducing emotional stress is also very helpful in treating migraines. Often I use relaxation methods to create peaceful, calming emotional states during an acupuncture session. Encouraging clients to notice what changes are occurring in the body as we work--what feels freer, lighter or more relaxed--helps with the hopelessness of feeling stuck in or attacked by pain.

Similarly, I have found clinically that the daily practice of some sort of energy movement, such as contemplative walking, dance, meditation, prayer or relaxation, greatly assists people in monitoring their stress levels so that they can self-correct and rebalance their bodies to prevent migraines and promote health.

Conscious breathing and the moving of qi, or energy, through the body daily are the basic necessities of health. This can be as simple as imagining standing under a waterfall and letting the water flow through you in synchronicity with your breathing, being inside of a rainbow and inhaling your favorite color, or stepping into a giant tree to feel sap running through you, letting tree leaves rustle as you inhale and exhale. Maybe you already have a favorite mental vacation space you use. No matter how you choose to open up your system, techniques that open the head and feet and move energy through the lens of the physical body using the breath clear and reset the energy system of the body. The acupuncture meridians, accepted and used for medical treatment for thousands of years, run longitudinally, weaving from the head to and fro via the hands and feet. Conscious breathing and the moving of qi or energy through the body widen "tunnel vision" and reverse the "shutdown" of migraine pain.

Migraines can be complex, with many causes. Some begin in childhood, some in adulthood. Often they run in families. Some may be linked to hormonal changes, such as pregnancy or menopause. Migraines often occur simultaneously with Irritable Gut, Irritable Bowl Syndrome and PMS. Several of my patients report being unable to correlate migraines with any identifiable causative factor--their etiology is a mystery. Migraines may be related to dietary factors, such as allergies, and so may respond to lifestyle and dietary changes. Some of these factors are under our control and some are not. It is important to note that emotional anger and depression are natural side effects of pain. The body is not designed to be in severe acute or chronic pain, and pain takes its toll. My patients report feeling sad, frustrated and fatigued by migraines. Acknowledging these feelings as natural and understandable can be a relief for people in pain.

It is most important to note that receiving acupuncture treatments has no downside. There are no adverse side effects. No lingering pain. If you experience migraines or headaches or you know someone who does, let them know that an alternative to suffering may be as close as the nearest acupuncture table.

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Kathleen Kenneally is an acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, shiatsu and massage therapist and a registered counselor with lots of training in relaxation methods. Contact Kathleen at 206-551-5558.

1. Vickers AJ, Rees RW, Zollman CE, et al. Acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care: large pragmatic, randomized trial. British Medical Journal Online First; doi:10.1136/bmj.38029.421863.EB. Published March 15, 2004. Available at www.bmj.com.