Acupuncture

The British Medical Association has endorsed acupuncture as an effective treatment for headache and migraine.

Small fine sterile needles are inserted into your skin at certain points; they may be left in for just a few seconds or for several minutes.

Have you tried this? Did it work?

I Tried Acupuncture for migraine pain and found it did not work for that but it did work to relax all the facial muscles that have over time contracted and gone into spasm, which you are not aware of until it goes.
It also relaxed me and even with severe migraine I actually slept with the needles in on several sessions. the only problem is you only get 6 sessions free with the NHS and you get them through your physio dept. after that you have to pay private (well you do in Devon area) maybe other health areas vary.
I would have kept in up for the relaxation but not for pain relief but could not afford to go private.

I had it twice (about 20 session in all). Once with a chinese doc and once with an english lady. The chinese doc's treatment was far more helpful and I came out of every session with him feeling lighter and with greatly reduced pain.

Much like Sheena said to keep going privately was too expensive plus he recommended lots of expensive herbal remedies which didn't help at all. It just was too costly to keep it up. The effects didn't last more than a couple of days so I would have to have done a weekly session every week to feel a consistent benefit.

The needles with the chinese doctor were completely painless, and he said if anyone hurts you then they are not doing it right. The 2nd time I went to the other acupuncturist (I had moved away from his practice by then) she did hurt me on each session with at least a couple of the needles..and to be honest I think the 1st doctor, was right as I got no benefit from any of the treatments I had with the 2nd person.

If you can afford it definitely give it a go but ask around and go to someone on recommendation as treatments seem to vary wildly. It's not a cure but I had a better response to this than most medications I have tried over the years and definitely worth a try.

I am now thinking I should try and find some money and do it again..he even helped me with my painful knee.

Jane
x

Am very interested to hear others' experiences, because I had a course of acupuncture a few years ago, which was awful. I got to the point where I was dreading it so much that I'd rather have been going to the dentist!!

I had a lot of pins in my head, which would have been painful enough even if I didn't have pain in my head already. Also, each time I went back it was more painful. Oh, and to top it off, the lady would give me a massage, which involved hitting me (lightly!), including around the head, which she then asked if I liked. Errr... My husband thought it was hilarious when I came home and told him this - you can imagine!

It didn't help my head but, to be fair, at that point I didn't realise I had a jaw problem, so they didn't really know 100% what they were treating.

After reading the other replies I thought I would post this.
The only sensation I got either with the shoulder neck and face treatment was a feeling of pressure at first when she tried to get the needles into the tense muscles but after a few sessions this sensation lessoned, proving the muscles were relaxing. She also put a needle in a pressure point at the bottom of my thumb and first finger in the soft V bit that helps for pain and told me if pain got bad to squeeze there with thumb and forefinger lying down and eyes closed. Try it and see if it works I think it helps a bit!
I offered to let a trainee have a go at putting needles in me but she said it may hurt, so pain means its wrong.

Wednesday, June 29,2011
Healthy Manhattan: Stick It to the Pain

Headaches and migraines may be effectively treated by regular acupuncture, according to some experts
By Paulette Safdieh

Headaches and migraines may be effectively treated by regular acupuncture, according to some experts
"Many people who come to me say they never experienced migraines before moving to New York," said Dr. Alexander Mauskop, director of the New York Headache Center. Mauskop, a board-certified neurologist (American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology) and licensed acupuncturist specializing in headache medicine, has been treating New Yorkers suffering from headaches for over 20 years.

According to Mauskop, his extensive and steadily increasing clientele is due mainly to the tense, fast-paced way of life in the big city. Although philosophies may have shifted and new treatment options have surfaced over the years, for many of the 36 million Americans desperate for help, acupuncture remains a preferred method of assuaging headache pain.

"It's not a cure, but it's safe and natural," Mauskop said about his preference for acupuncture over other forms of treatment. "Drugs and medications have too many side effects. Taking them shouldn't be a daily thing."

Often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, migraines are debilitating and may interfere with one's normal, daily activities and work responsibilities. Acupuncture is aimed at reducing frequency and maintaining relief from varying types of migraines, whether constant, sporadic, menstrual-related or stress-induced.

This common but deep form of headache pain can be inherited genetically or triggered by an individual's diet, job or even where he or she lives. The insertion of the thin, disposable needles to the body during acupuncture sessions helps release neurotransmitters in the brain, lessening the migraine intensity and improving the person's quality of life. Despite acupuncture's ancient Chinese origins and popularity over time, many conventional doctors still approach holistic medicine with doubt, turning to drugs as a first option.

Doctors commonly help patients through other forms of treatments as well, including drugs, nutritional supplements like magnesium and omega-3 or nerve blocks like lidocaine and steroids.
Mauskop has been praised as a progressive in his field, spearheading the use of Botox for pain relief 15 years ago and training young doctors in this method countrywide. He is also the author of two books: The Headache Alternative: A Neurologist's Guide to Drug-Free Relief and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines: The Breakthrough Program That Can Help End Your Pain. While always open to these new ideas, Mauskop believes strongly in the interworking of traditional and alternative therapies for ultimate relief.

"People say it's not proven, when in fact, it's more proven than the over-thecounter and prescription pills they use," Mauskop explained. When asked about acupuncture skeptics, he pointed out that two out of three patients achieve relief.

Research has found similar responses in animals as well. "We have pictures of dogs jumping on the acupuncture table; they can't wait to get their next treatment," Mauskop said. "It fixes their joints and helps them walk better."

Nonetheless, Mauskop does question the use of acupuncture for other ailments, like infertility, for which the effects of acupuncture are far less proven than for headaches and physical pain

http://www.nypress.com/article-22587-healthy-manhattan-stick-it-to-the-pain.html

It reduced my migraines so they werent so bad, so that I no longer had awful sickness but didnt get rid of terrible headaches and aura.

ive had my second session of acupuncture and if i make sunday will be 2 weeks clear , been a long time that. it seems to have eased off my aura as well . im taking nothing for granted but i think its a step in the right direction ..... and to add a bonus there isnt any side effects which my body is thankful for .... its a shame i cant get this done on the nhs £30 a session is alot when all im getting is esa !

I tried acupuncture once a week for several weeks but it didn't help my migraines or chronic headaches.

Rob - so pleased to read its working for you - everyone is so different and I hear so many mixed reports on this .......... dare I ask............ did you make the Sunday ?

On the recommendation od my GP, I started a trial acupuncture treatment yesterday. Trial in the sense that we are trialling whether or not it will help with the migraines.

The practioner gave me about 20 minutes of massage followed by half an hour of acupuncture. The needles were placed in my neck and lower arms. Then the needles were connected by wires to a device which generated electrical pulses at approximately one second intervals.

I did not feel the needles at all except while he was adjusting the depth after they were inserted, and then it was no more than a very dull/mild ache. I never felt the insertion of the needles, and once they had stopped being moved, I could not feel them at all.

The electrical current was too mild to feel, but I could feel the tissue around each needle contract slightly with each pulse.

I noticed my head has been more free to rotate than previously and my neck certainly doesn't feel as stiff as before. I'll reserve my judgement as to whether or not it improves the migraines for a few weeks. I go for another session on Tuesday.

Our health system does not cover acupuncture unless it's to treat a condition caused by an injury, so unfortunately I'm going to have to find a way to pay the full cost myself

I use acupuncture occasionally. It can be a little hit and miss but when it works can be great! I often find it useful to help at the aura stage

I thought I'd revisit this thread just to say that I'm currently having acupuncture again, this time on the NHS, for my TMJ problems. The person doing it is also treating the migraine side of my head too, not just the jaw pain side. We'll see what happens, but I don't have great hopes. Fabulous that it's available on the NHS though, of course.

Hope it goes well! Acupuncture can *sometimes* help relieve acute and chronic pain for jaw joint based problems but don't resolve the driving factor.

That said, occasionally it works VERY well! Fingers crossed for you

Thanks. I'll report back.

Oh you have to love the NHS once in a while - do keep us informed.

Good luck x