Home : Departments : Migraine/ Headaches < You are here

Migraine/ Headaches

Migraine / Headaches

Q. Can Complementary Medicine help Migraine?

A. Migraine is a condition that responds particularly well to either one or a combination approach including Acupuncture, Diet, Herbal Medicines and Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements.

Q. How can Acupuncture help my Migraine?

A. The benefits of Acupuncture can be seen in two ways:

a. Traditional Chinese Medicine. This views the body as divided into Meridians (channels of energy) which become blocked leading to illness. Needles are placed at appropriate sites to try to stimulate a flow of energy and unblock the channels thus resolving the condition being treated.

b. A Western approach would argue that most of the main Acupuncture points are in fact trigger points (tight contracted bands of muscle) and that treatments of these are valuable in headaches/migraines. A careful search is made for trigger points in the shoulder and neck area as forehead headaches often come from the upper neck area while temporal/eye headaches can originate from the trapezius muscle.

Q. How many treatments will I need?

A. This can vary but I normally recommend a course of six treatments. The first four treatments are generally done on a weekly basis followed by a gap of two and then four weeks for the final two. Some benefit may be obtained from the first one or two treatments, but I generally find that after six treatments it becomes clear whether Acupuncture treatment will be successful. After completion of a course, occasional booster treatments may be required at periodic intervals.

Q. Is it painful?

A. Needles of a high quality are used on a single use basis. Patients experience either no or minimal discomfort and the vast majority are pleasantly surprised it is a pain free experience.

FOOD/ALLERGY

Q. Is Migraine an allergy?

A. Most Migraine patients are familiar with the concept of certain foods e.g. cheese, chocolate, wine triggering Migraine. However, they do not cover the full range of implicated foods and many everyday foods e.g. dairy products, wheat, citrus, tomatoes, yeast can contribute to Migraine attacks.

Q. How do I know if food allergy/intolerance is causing my Migraine?

A. Allergy/Food intolerance is diagnosed by a combination of :

Comprehensive questionnaire
Allergy testing
Observation of elimination diet and challenge.

Removal of the offending foods often leads to decreased sensitivity to non-specific triggering factors e.g. cold weather, stress, pre-menstrual, low blood sugar etc.

Q. Does Candida Syndrome / Yeast Sensitivity contribute to Migraine symptoms?

A. If a Migraine patient has other symptoms of this condition e.g. irritable bowel syndrome, recurrent thrush, athletes foot, dandruff and beer and wine intolerance, then a combination of diet, appropriate supplements and anti-fungal medications can be very beneficial.

Q. Can Vitamins/Minerals be of benefit?

A. I find certain vitamins and minerals can be extremely beneficial in significantly reducing the overall sensitivity to Migraine. They are specifically selected on the basis of the type of Migraine, aggravating factors and other general health problems. Supplements used may include Magnesium, Chromium, Evening Primrose Oil.

Q. Has Homeopathy a role to play in headaches and Migraine?

A. Homeopathy can be used either in isolation or combined with other treatment methods. Homeopathy involves using tiny dilutions of herbs, plants and natural substances to stimulate the immune system. Selection of the appropriate medicine is individual and based on a comprehensive questionnaire including such things as personality type, temperature sensitivity and specific features about aggravating and relieving factors for Migraine.