Acupuncture and headache & migraine

1. Home
2. Acupuncture and complaints

Headaches are common and can take various forms. Sometimes it involves a dull pain that lasts for several hours. In the case of migraines, the symptoms can be much more severe and may be accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Tension headaches and cluster headaches each have their own characteristics.

The nature, intensity, and duration of headaches can vary greatly. Therefore, an acupuncturist looks not only at where the pain is located but also at the pattern in which the symptoms occur.

Tension Headaches or Migraines
Tension headaches and migraines are two common forms of headaches, but they differ from each other.

With tension headaches, people often experience a pressing or constricting pain, for example, around the head or in combination with tension in the neck and shoulders. Migraines are often accompanied by a throbbing or pulsating headache and can be associated with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Some people experience an aura before a migraine attack, with symptoms such as flashes of light, tingling, or changes in the visual field.

In the case of recurring or new headache complaints, it is important to first determine whether a medical diagnosis has been made or if further investigation is needed.

How Does an Acupuncturist View Headaches?
An acupuncturist looks not only at the location of the pain but at the entirety of the complaints. Where is the pain located? How does the pain feel? When does it occur, and what makes the headache worse or better? Sleep patterns, stress, diet, menstrual cycle, and other factors can also be part of the conversation.

Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, headaches are viewed from different patterns. The location and nature of the pain can provide clues, but other characteristics of health and daily functioning are also taken into account. Based on this, the acupuncturist makes an individual assessment of the symptom pattern and selects the acupuncture points that correspond to it.

Headaches and Acupuncture
During the first consultation, the acupuncturist thoroughly maps out the headaches and the circumstances in which they occur. It is important to know how long the complaints have existed, how often they occur, and whether any investigations or treatments have already taken place.

The treatment is tailored to the individual symptom pattern. Within TCM, various treatment principles can be used. The acupuncturist may choose points on the head or neck, but also at other locations on the body.

The number of treatments and their frequency vary from person to person. This is related to the nature and duration of the complaints and how someone responds to the treatment.

Time for You
Headaches can have a significant impact on your daily life. Therefore, the acupuncturist takes the time to carefully consider your complaints and your personal situation.

Do you want to know how an acupuncturist views your headaches and what a treatment involves? Discuss your complaints with a NVA acupuncturist and discover which approach suits your situation.