Acupuncture for Migraine Relief

Most of us know someone who suffers from migraines, or perhaps you struggle with migraine headaches personally. In fact, Migraine is the third most prevalent illness in the world, affecting 38 million people (including children) in the United States alone. What many people don’t know is that acupuncture may help with migraine relief. Watch the video below from Husami Integrative Acupuncture in San Diego and keep reading to find out how acupuncture for migraines could help you or a loved one.

Migraine Facts:

Migraines are much more than a bad headache. For many people, they are incapacitating. Migraines usually cause a severe throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head and often include one or more of the following symptoms: visual disturbances (often called an “aura”), dizziness, nausea, vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light, sound, touch and smell, and tingling or numbness in the face or extremities. Migraines typically last last between 4 and 72 hours.

Migraine is the 6th most disabling illness in the world. Many migraine sufferers experience these headaches at least once or twice a month, and more than 4 million people experience anywhere from 15 migraine days per month to chronic daily migraines. Migraines affect sufferers’ quality of life, from missing work, to missing out on exercise and/or social activities.

The Research on Acupuncture for Migraines:

A 2012 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that acupuncture helps reduce days with migraines and may have lasting effects. In this study, about 500 adults were either treated with traditional acupuncture on acupuncture points previously used to study migraines, or had “sham” acupuncture with needles inserted into nonspecific points. During the four-week study, participants didn’t know which type of acupuncture treatment they were receiving.

The results of the study found that all participants, including those receiving the “sham” acupuncture, reported fewer days with migraines than before the study began. In the month after the treatment, all participants also reported improvements in the frequency and intensity of migraines. However, lasting effects were only seen in participants who received traditional acupuncture, who continued to report a reduction in migraine days, frequency, and intensity three months after the treatment. People who received the sham treatment did not. You can read more about this study at WebMD.

Alternative to Prescription Drugs:

Another study of nearly 800 people showed that 11 acupuncture treatments over the span of six weeks were at least as effective as prescription drugs called beta-blockers (often used for migraine prevention) taken daily for six months.

Prescription migraine medication can be costly and often has unwanted side effects, such as drowsiness and irritability. Acupuncture is a natural migraine treatment that is extremely low-risk with little to no side effects

Acupuncture for Migraines in San Diego:

Suzie Husami, licensed acupuncturist and owner of Husami Integrative Acupuncture in San Diego, has helped many people with migraine relief through acupuncture. Suzie accepts insurance and will happily verify if your insurance provider covers care. For patients who don’t have insurance, she offers affordable cash rates. Please feel free to call or text Suzie to ask any questions you may have, or to schedule an appointment: (619) 302-7589.