Acupuncture for Headaches: getting to the point of your pain

We have recently noticed a spike in the number of patients coming in to have acupuncture for headaches over the autumn and winter seasons.   Headaches affect the vast majority of us at one time or another.  The severity of the headache can range from irksome to debilitating; the common denominator in all headaches is that they affect our productivity and can impact on our quality of life.  Using Chinese medicine we are able to determine the type of headache you have, and in so doing find the appropriate prescription of acupuncture to relieve your symptoms and get you back to your happy self.

If you do experience a headache we recommend trying the following things first:

1. Have a glass of water: dehydration is a prime cause of headaches
2. Take steps to relax: Stress is major contributing factor to headaches, and now being end of financial year is an especially stressful time for a lot of people so it’s even more important to find ways to relax and unwind.
3. Stretch your muscles and maintain a good working posture: A stiff neck can lead to some severe stubborn headaches.
4. Get plenty of sleep: headaches can be a product of sleep deprivation and overwork
5. Watch your diet and alcohol intake: A night of bad food and excess alcohol may result in you waking up with a shocking headache; this can be greatly reduced if you consume a glass of water after each alcoholic beverage.

Most of the times the above tips will be enough to stave off painful headaches, but there will be times when the pain is so severe and stubborn you may require professional treatment.  Headaches often have very different pathogenesis, so it’s imperative that the correct diagnosis is made in order for the correct acupuncture for your headache to be employed.  We have seen great results in treating stubborn headaches which should be great news for those out there still suffering – there is hope.  In addition to the use of acupuncture for headaches we have many tools in our arsenal: Tui Na (Chinese massage), herbal medicine, stretching, moxa (heat therapy), and cupping.

As with all symptoms we see in clinic, headaches are a part of the larger picture and so we stillperform a complete overview of the patient coming to see us, looking at the pulse, tongue, diet and lifestyle, in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

Acupuncture for headache is so much better than gobbling Panadols!

Please contact us with any queries.

By Luke McPherson: Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist at West Street Wellbeing