Treating migraine headaches with acupuncture

 According to a study by British researchers, the ancient art of acupuncture may be one of the most effective treatments for alleviating the agonizing pain of migraine headchaes. After evaluating two groups of people (ages 18-65), one which received standardized medicine such as ergotamines and tripan drugs used to stop the pain in progress, and the other which was treated with acupuncture in conjunction with the meds, it was found that the second group actually experienced significantly less days with headaches. They also needed 15 percent less medication and doctors' visits.

Acupuncture may also be preferable for people who have heart disease and/or high blood pressure since they can't take ergotamines or tripans which work to constrict swollen blood vessels, although some doctors are now prescibing alternative medications such as cardizem (a calcium blocker) and Inderal (a beta blocker) that are normally used to treat high blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms to prevent migraines from happening in the first place.

When an acupuncturist inserts very fine needles into specific points on the patient's body and then gently manipulates them, he is looking to increase the flow of blood in the tissues by dilating the blood vessels around those points. However, because migraine pain is generally associated with the dilation of blood vessels in the cranium, the needles are very rarely inserted in the head and neck. Instead, practioners concentrate more on points on the arms. In addition, patients with migraines are kept in a sitting position (as opposed lying prone) because the vessels can be controlled better. Some acupuncturists may also connect high frequency electrodes to the needles to further help in constricting the veins.  While acupuncture does not have the side effects that may arise from using certain medications (including weight gain and slowed thought processing), there is a danger of infection from unsterillized needles, and, in rare cases, damage to internal organs from improperly inserted needles.

Other alternative treatments for migraine sufferers include the use of magnesium taken along with vitamin B2, and coenzyme Q10, as well as herbs such as feverfew or butterbur. Botox, which is used to parlayze facial muscles, is another drug that seems to help some people who suffer from frequent migraines, according to some specialists.  Whatever the treatment chosen, if it works, it can make a tremendous change in the life of any person.

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