Which type of headaches can Acupuncture help?

Research and clinical findings have shown that Acupuncture is very effective at treating tension headaches, muscle contraction headaches, and migraines. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends Acupuncture as a treatment for both tension headaches and migraines.

Whichever type of headache you suffer, it is worth calling us to discuss your complaint. It is common for people to have two or more different types of headaches: mixed headache syndrome. If you are suffering from cluster headaches and tension headaches, it might not be possible to stop your pain completely, but we can reduce the severity and frequency of the pain you are suffering with, greatly improving your quality of life.

Many headaches are caused by trigger points in the face, scalp, neck, and shoulders or by an injury to the joints, ligaments, or nerves in the neck. Acupuncture is exceptionally successful when this is the cause of the headache. If your symptoms are similar in location to the image below, there could be trigger point involvement with your complaint.



During your first visit, we will carry out a consultation and examination. We will have a good idea if your complaint would respond to Acupuncture at this stage. We will always let you know if we think a better alternative exists. If we don’t proceed with treatment, you will only be charged half of the fee for the visit.

How does acupuncture correct headaches?

We don’t fully understand how acupuncture successfully treats headaches yet. It has been proven that acupuncture increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates the central nervous system to release neurotransmitters like endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. These chemical messengers can stimulate pain relief, relaxation, and modulation of various brain functions related to mood, stress, and autonomic nervous system balance. There are four mechanisms we know of as to how Acupuncture relieves Headaches.

·        Pain relief

·        Improved circulation / healing response

·        Releasing tight muscles

·        Reduce the effects stress is having on the body

Pain relief:



When stimulated correctly, some Acupuncture points have been proven to flood the brain with pain-killing hormones. Needling stimulates nerves to release several neurotransmitters and hormones causing pain-relieving effects. Adenosine a neurotransmitter that blocks nerve signals, β-Endorphin lessens the body’s perception of pain, Met-enkephalin regulates nociception, and Oxytocin modulates pain and relaxes and calms people, have all been proven to be released during Acupuncture treatment. These natural chemical changes act on the body’s pain receptors and transmit signals to the nervous system through the brain and spinal cord. 

Improved circulation & healing response.



Please click here for a link to the description of how Acupuncture improves circulation and stimulates a healing response in body tissues.

Releasing tight muscles:



Releasing tight scalp, face, neck, and shoulder muscles is essential for correcting most headaches, especially tension and muscle contraction headaches. A common reason muscles become tight is that in response to becoming strained or torn, our nervous system increases the tone of that muscle as a protective measure to prevent further injury. The healing effects acupuncture has on tissues (described below) can correct the injury, eliminating the need for this protective action and allowing the muscle to return to its healthy resting tone. The improved circulation to muscles (described here) is essential for a tight muscle to relax and heal as improved circulation gets essential nutrients into muscles, allowing this to happen. In fact, muscular tightness can be a direct response to ischemia, usually because of overuse or injury.

Trigger points are knots in muscles that can cause several problems. One of these is that because of the chemistry caused by the trigger point, it is sometimes impossible for the muscle that houses it to release and return to its resting tone. Acupuncture is excellent at releasing trigger points and allowing the muscle they are in to release.

It is common for muscles to become tight due to other muscles being tight or too loose. The secondary muscle is compensated for by releasing the muscle, allowing the compensating muscle to reduce the tone it should be.

Stress:

Stress is a common contributor to the cause of headaches and cause, especially tension headaches. The main reasons are the typical stress responses of raised blood pressure, tightening of the neck and face muscles, and releasing the hormone cortisol. The success of acupuncture in relieving and reversing the stress response is one of the main reasons why acupuncture is so successful in treating headaches. This is achieved as treatment increases parasympathetic nervous system activity, produces “relax and repair” effects on the body, and reduces the “fight and flight” effect the sympathetic nervous system has when we are stressed. Further improvements to our emotional and mental well being can be gained from Acupuncture as it also stimulates the release of endorphins that lift our mood, oxytocin that reduces fear and anxiety, and serotonin that regulates our moods and aids sleep and memory.