If your head is throbbing, know that you are not alone. In fact, many of us are all too familiar with some form of throbbing, uncomfortable, and distracting pain of a headache.  Headaches is one of the most common pain conditions in the world, with migraine headaches being the seventh leading cause of disability worldwide.  And not all headaches are alike!

Most headaches begin with pain sensing nerves of the muscles and blood vessels that surround your head, neck and face. They can be triggered by stress, muscle tension, allergens, sleep deprivation, dehydration, and countless other things. Different triggers create different types types of pain and symptoms.

Did you know there are more than 150 types of headaches? They fall into two different types of categories:

Primary headaches: those not due to other medical conditions

  • Cluster Headaches
  • Migraines
  • New Daily Persistent Headaches (NDPH)
  • Tension Headache
  • Cluster Headaches
  • Episodic Headaches
  • Ice Pick Headaches
  • Thunderclap Headaches
  • Rebound Headaches

Secondary headaches: are related to another medical condition, such as:

  • Disease of blood vessels of the brain
  • High blood pressure
  • Head injury
  • Infection
  • Sinus congestion
  • Trauma
  • Tumor

Common Western treatments of headaches

The top treatment given for headache sufferers is prescription medication which include: anti-inflammatories, pain relievers, muscle relaxers, triptans, anti-seizure medication, anti-anxiety medication and antidepressants.

What else is there?

If you are someone who often gets headaches or migraines, you understand how seriously they can impact your quality of life. It can often be difficult to even think beyond the active pounding in your head! When a headache strikes, finding treatments that bring relief  becomes a top priority. When traditional medicine hasn’t eased the pain caused by headaches, many patients are eager to explore other methods of treatment.

If you have tried the common treatments and are tired of taking medications, we can help! Our treatments can help bring relief and even prevent future attacks.

  1. Acupuncture: headaches are one of the conditions most commonly seen in acupuncture clinics today. It can offer powerful relief without the side effects that prescription and over-the-counter drugs can cause. Headaches that can be treated with acupuncture include migraines, tension headaches, headaches occurring around the menstrual cycle, sinus headaches and stress-related headaches.
  2. Medical massagemassage can be super helpful at alleviating any muscle spasms and trigger points that could be referring pain into the head and causing regular headaches.
  3. O3 Regenerative Therapy: Ear insufflation of ozone helps to improve headaches, migraines, sinus congestion, and brain fog
  4. ATP microcurrent therapy: This technique that utilizes microcurrent therapy for treating pain using low level electrical current. The current is delivered to certain parts of the body in an attempt to relieve pain. Frequencies have a direct effect on our bodies and can almost instantaneously change the chemistry. For example, there are frequencies clinically proven to reduce inflammation, repair tissue and others that improve circulation. This helps injured tissue heal faster and provides relief of pain caused by injury, surgery, or chronic conditions.
  5. PEMF treatments: PEMF stands for Pulsed Electro Magnetic Field. Devices that utilize  PEMF technology emit electromagnetic waves at different frequencies in order to stimulate an encourage your body’s natural recovery processes. Therefore, PEMF therapy is the application of pulsed electro magnetic fields to the entire body and targeted areas of tissue
  6. Homeopathic trigger point injections
  7. Chinese medicine formulations and functional medicine supplements to help balance hormones and optimize cellular health

 

Chronic headaches and migraines often affect more than just your head: they can affect every aspect of your life and even lead to social anxiety and depression. Regular acupuncture is statistically proven to help treat and prevent chronic headaches and migraines. It is particularly useful for patients who do not respond well to preventative drug treatment options, or do not get adequate relief from this approach.

Stop letting headaches rule your life and start living pain free with acupuncture!

 

Call (904) 448-0046 to see how acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help you feel better now!