ACUPUNCTURE AS PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR SEVERE HEADACHES

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that involves inserting needles into key nerve points in the body. Proponents of the art say it can help with everything from weight loss to anxiety to infertility although strong scientific research has yet to be done to determine how effective it really is for these uses.

It has been shown to be effective, however, for pain management. The needles stimulate nerves in the body which in turn stimulate the body to produce endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural way of dealing with pain, so when more of them are released into the system translates into less pain for the individual.

Acupuncture can be used as a stand-alone treatment or together with conventional medicine

Inspiring stories

To see the practical benefits that acupuncture offers, let’s consider the cases of two women and their experiences with acupuncture used as a treatment for headaches.The first woman was in her late 30’s and had been constantly suffering from extreme migraines for the last 5 years and strong tension headaches for over 10 years. She suffered even more during menstruation with the severe headaches being accompanied by irritability and PMS. In addition to the headaches, she suffered from fatigue from not being able to sleep and constipation. 

After 10 sessions of acupuncture, all of her symptoms greatly improved. At the time of the report, she still had an occasional headache but said she intended to continue her treatments as she had found a great deal of relief through the procedure.

The second woman suffered from extreme tension headaches and had for over 15 years. The pain was so bad that she ended up in the hospital a few times and her doctor had prescribed her heavy-duty painkillers just to manage it. In this case, the woman also suffered from anxiety and hypertension. She had stopped taking medication for her hypertension 6 months before seeking acupuncture treatments.

For this woman in just 3 sessions her anxiety calmed and her headaches, while she still had a few, were much less painful. Out of the blue, she had one more severe headache that drove her to the  hospital, at which time her doctor put her back on hypertension medication, and she has enjoyed a headache free existence ever since.

As you can see from just these 2 examples,  acupuncture can greatly help with pain management, but it works differently depending on the person.

If you are interested in learning more about this valuable alternative to conventional medicine contact us or download our free guide: