Migraine headaches are a bit of mystery to the medical world. This ailment tends to be poorly understood and frequently undiagnosed and under-treated. According to the Migraine Research Foundation, this neurological disease affects nearly 39 million Americans. Migraines are characterized by severe, throbbing pain usually found on only one side of the head. Migraine headaches can also be accompanied by visual disturbances, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. These types of headaches can last from four hours to several days. Because modern medicine doesn’t completely understand this neurological phenomenon, the typical treatment is somewhat hit or miss.
There is an alternative though and this alternative is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which may include acupuncture, herbal formulas, tuina massage and cupping. Because TCM is customizable to the individual, it can do much more than just relieve pain. Here are five reasons why migraine sufferers should consider getting acupuncture:
1. Acupuncture has been proven to relieve migraine pain. This is the number one reason TCM practitioners have people walk through their office doors. Pain, whether associated with migraines or not, is epidemic in the United States. Literally thousands of studies have shown acupuncture treatments can effectively relieve and reduce pain. This can be done both for acute and chronic pain. When acupuncture is coupled with tuina massage or cupping, the results can be even longer lasting.
2. Acupuncture reduces inflammation. While migraines are not completely understood, it is agreed upon by most professionals any headache involves some sort of inflammatory response by the body. Acupuncture promotes the release of vascular and immune-mediating factors that actually decrease inflammation.
3. Acupuncture can reduce serotonin levels. Serotonin is a hormone the body creates and many researchers, scientists and neurologists believe serotonin may be linked to the initiation of migraines. Since acupuncture can be used as preventive medicine, it can also help to balance serotonin levels on a long term basis, thus making migraines less likely to develop.
4. Acupuncture can help with the symptoms of migraines. Acupuncture and herbal formulas can treat much more than just pain, including the symptoms of migraines. Studies have shown things like nausea, dizziness and vomiting can all be reduced through the use of regular treatments. Herbal formulas can be used in between acupuncture treatments to keep the symptoms under control.
5. Acupuncture improves blood circulation. Many times, when a person experiences pain, it is because of a lack of proper blood flow and decreased oxygen. This is as true for migraines as any other type of pain. Acupuncture can improve blood circulation, which also increases the amount of oxygen that reaches the tissues. Cupping on the muscles surrounding the head, neck and shoulders is another modality that can assist with this as well.
Migraine ni tatizo ambalo halijulikani kwa wataalamu wa afya. Ugonjwa huu hueleweka vibaya na mara nyingi hauwezi kugunduliwa na haupati matibabu ya kutosha. Kulingana na Shirika la Utafiti wa Migraine, ugonjwa huu unaathiri karibu watu milioni 39 nchini Marekani. Migraine huonyeshwa na maumivu makali, yenye kupiga-piga ambayo kwa kawaida hupatikana upande mmoja tu wa kichwa. Migraine pia inaweza kuambatana na matatizo ya kuona, kizunguzungu, kichefuchefu, kutapika na unyeti mkubwa kwa mwanga na sauti. Aina hizo za maumivu ya kichwa zaweza kudumu kuanzia saa nne hadi siku kadhaa. Kwa sababu dawa ya kisasa haifahamu kikamilifu jambo hili la neva, matibabu ya kawaida ni ya hit au miss. Kwa hivyo, kuna njia mbadala, ambayo ni dawa ya jadi ya Kichina (TCM), ambayo inaweza kujumuisha acupuncture, formula za mimea, masaji ya tuina na cupping. Kwa kuwa TCM inaweza kubadilishwa kulingana na mtu binafsi, inaweza kufanya mengi zaidi ya kupunguza maumivu tu. Kuna sababu tano kwa nini wagonjwa wa kipandauso wanapaswa kufikiria kupata matibabu ya acupuncture: Imethibitishwa kwamba tiba ya kupasua vidole hupunguza maumivu ya kichwa. Hii ni sababu ya kwanza kwa nini wataalamu wa TCM wana watu wanaingia kupitia milango ya ofisi zao. Maumivu, iwe yanahusiana na kipandauso au la, ni magonjwa ya kuambukiza katika Marekani. Maelfu ya masomo yameonyesha kwamba matibabu ya kutumia sindano ya kuingiza damu katika mwili yanaweza kupunguza maumivu. Hilo laweza kufanywa kwa maumivu makali na ya kudumu. Wakati upasuaji wa kutumia sindano ya sindano ukiambatana na kutikisa kwa kutumia tuina au kutumia vidonge, matokeo yanaweza kudumu hata kwa muda mrefu zaidi. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Matibabu ya kupasua vidonda hupunguza uvimbe. Migraine haijulikani kabisa, lakini wataalamu wengi wanakubali kwamba maumivu ya kichwa yanahusisha aina fulani ya majibu ya uvimbe ya mwili. Matibabu ya kutumia sindano ya sindano huchochea kutolewa kwa mishipa ya damu na mishipa ya kinga ambayo kwa kweli hupunguza uvimbe. 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Matibabu ya kutumia sindano ya kupasua vidole yanaweza kupunguza kiwango cha serotonini. Serotonini ni homoni inayotengenezwa na mwili na watafiti wengi, wanasayansi na wataalamu wa neva wanaamini serotonini inaweza kuhusishwa na kuanzishwa kwa kipandauso. Kwa kuwa acupuncture inaweza kutumika kama dawa ya kuzuia, inaweza pia kusaidia kusawazisha viwango vya serotonini kwa muda mrefu, hivyo kufanya migraines uwezekano mdogo wa kuendeleza. 4. Uwe na uhakika Matibabu ya kupasua vidole yanaweza kusaidia kupunguza dalili za kipandauso. Matibabu ya kutumia dawa za kulevya na dawa za mitishamba yanaweza kutatua mengi zaidi ya maumivu tu, kutia ndani dalili za kipandauso. Utafiti umeonyesha kuwa maumivu ya tumbo, kichefuchefu na kutapika yanaweza kupunguzwa kwa kutumia matibabu ya kawaida. Vifaa vya mitishamba vinaweza kutumiwa kati ya matibabu ya acupuncture ili kudhibiti dalili. 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. Matibabu ya kutumia sindano ya sindano huboresha mzunguko wa damu. Mara nyingi, mtu anapopata maumivu, ni kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa mtiririko sahihi wa damu na kupungua kwa oksijeni. Jambo hilo ni kweli kuhusu kipandauso kama ilivyo na aina nyingine yoyote ya maumivu. Acupuncture inaweza kuboresha mzunguko wa damu, ambayo pia huongeza kiasi cha oksijeni ambayo hufikia tishu. Kupiga misuli inayozunguka kichwa, shingo na mabega ni njia nyingine ambayo inaweza kusaidia na hii pia.