Eighty percent of the population suffers from headaches at some point of their lives trying to cope with family demands, work stress and busy schedules of an everyday life. While some people experience just a mild tension headache, others will suffer migraines, a much more severe type of headache that can be accompanied with visual disturbances and vomiting and significantly impact a person’s quality of life.
According to Western Medicine, the exact causes of headaches and migraines are unknown; they are treated as an isolated symptom by over-the counter painkillers or strong migraine medication such as beta-blockers, triptans, anti-seizure drugs and antidepressants, which can cause undesirable side effects. This approach perpetuates the problem by ignoring what triggers these conditions.
There are many causes of headache and migraines, leading to a huge variation in severity and frequency of symptoms. Regardless of what the Western Medicine understanding of these conditions is, Chinese medicine has the tools to diagnose and treat accurately different individuals suffering a condition with the same label. Its approach is to treat the root of the problem by finding each person’s specific disharmony patterns and correcting their individual imbalances, instead of prescribing generic medication.
According to Chinese medicine principles, headaches and migraines are mainly due to obstructions that disrupt the smooth flow of blood and qi (energy) of the channels that connect the rest of the body with the head.
Acupuncture, among the different Chinese Medicine techniques, is the most effective and widely used to treat headaches and migraines. By stimulating specific acupuncture points along the path of the relevant channels; the disrupted flow of energy is rectified, the accumulations are dispersed, the excesses reduced, the channels unblocked and as a result the pain and other symptoms stop and the body regains its natural state of well being.
In addition to receiving treatment, there are many self-care strategies for managing headaches.
10 Chinese medicine tips to reduce headaches:
·      Avoid coffee and stimulants such as energy drinks.
·      Avoid alcoholic drinks
·      Avoid excessive external stimulation such as drugs, loud music or stressful and violent videogames, TV programs or films
·      Avoid smoking
·      Avoid processed foods and those with preservatives and chemicals
·      Avoid hormonally treated animal products such as meat and diary products
·      Drink plenty of water
·      Avoid emotional stress, irritability, anger, frustration or resentment
·      Make sure you take time for rest and relaxation every day
·      Be positive and laugh
Written by Odette Aguirre.
We have 3 Acupuncturists here at Ashlins; Sally, Lucie and Odet
Book an acupuncture appointment and say goodbye to your headaches – just call us on 020 8520 5268.