A migraine is described as a severe headache that causes throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, often on one side of the head. It is commonly followed by nausea, vomiting, and oversensitivity to light and sound.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the head is the place where all yang meridians meet – yang being the hot, fiery, external, upward and outward energy of the body. In addition to this, the qi, blood, and energy of the organs all flow up towards the head as well so anything that affects the flow of qi and blood to the head can trigger a headache. Migraines are often associated in Chinese medicine with an upsurge of too much yang energy in the head.
When we consider pain in Chinese medicine, we look at factors such as: is the pain fixed or does it move? is it better with cold or heat? how the patient describes the pain; is it better lying down or with movement? This information allows us to diagnose the source of the pain from a Chinese medicine viewpoint.
When we consider how to alleviate the symptoms of migraines, we often chose acupuncture points that correspond to channels that run through the head and neck. The points may be on the head itself but are often elsewhere, for example on the legs or feet.
You can see from the picture how many channels run through and around the head and so understanding the actions of the points, whether on the head or elsewhere, and picking the right ones is essential. In all, there are about 370 points on the body to choose from, although there are many that we don’t use often, and certainly, not all are relevant to migraines and headaches.
If you would like to talk to Amanda our acupuncturist about migraines or want to know more about how acupuncture can help you then please call Lymington Chiropractic Clinic on 01590 679560 or call Amanda direct on 07876 343821.