Headaches and Migraines

Migraines can involve vomiting, nausea, light sensitivity and extreme pain. Occipital neuralgia is a headache caused by an inflamed nerve at the base of the skull, producing sharp, jabbing pain or sensations like an electric shock in the back of the head.Many of these headaches come from the deep muscles of the upper neck. The greater occipital nerve rises from the second cervical vertebra and passes directly through the semispinalis capitis muscle on its way up the back of the head. When these muscles tighten, they grip the nerve. The result is a deep ache or sharp pain at the back of the skull, sometimes reaching the top of the head or behind the eyes. Tension in the splenius capitis refers pain around to the side of the head and temple. In Chinese medicine these patterns correspond to the Bladder and Gall Bladder channels, which is why the location of your headache tells us so much about its cause.We treat these headaches with motor point acupuncture, needling the precise junction where the nerve activates the muscle, with gentle electrical stimulation to release it at its source. As the muscles soften, pressure on the nerve eases and the headache pattern may settle. Many people notice a change within the first few treatments.

A headache is the body letting you know it is out of balance. Chinese medicine looks for the root cause rather than masking the symptom. A few small lifestyle changes and a course of acupuncture can restore that balance.

Once we establish the root cause of a headache, such as a Liver or Gall Bladder disharmony, treatment begins on that particular meridian. For headaches driven by tight neck muscles, we add electro-acupuncture at the motor points to release them at their source. If treatment is progressing well, the pain may be significantly reduced within 20 to 30 minutes. We also offer practical advice on the cause of your headache, so it may be avoided in the future.