Relieve Headaches with Acupuncture
The National Institute of Health, NIH, has identified a number of studies that strongly suggest that acupuncture works very well on chronic pain. It has been proven to reduce the incidence of and the severity of reoccurring tension headaches and can even contribute to the prevention of migraines.
The practice of acupuncture has been used successfully for over 3,000 years. Initially the pressure points were activated with sharpened stones versus the needles of today.
Consider the complexity of the central nervous system. By locating a specific response point in that nervous system, you can get the body to release natural pain killers called endorphins. The endorphins themselves alter the pain sensation.
The Acupuncture Benefits for Headaches
The process actually removes negative energy from the body that causes pain and seeks to restore the flow of positive energy throughout your entire body. The Modern medical perspective acknowledges that acupuncture does indeed stimulate various systems in your body triggering a healing response.
The body is divided into a series of zones and identified pressure points. When different pressure points are stimulated, they are near nerves of that central nervous system. The nerves then respond with the release of hormones which are the endorphins. This stimulates both the immune system and the circulation system.
Acupuncture is considered minimally invasive carrying very little risk. You might experience some minor fatigue, soreness and some bruising following an appointment. Also be prepared that even a successful appointment might help considerably with chronic headache pains, migraines and tension headaches but you might still need a lower dose of pain medication so as to not impair your daily life’s activities.
Some headaches can cause vision impairment, dizziness and nausea. Acupuncture has been proven to have successful results with these side effects.
The Reduction of Prescribed Pain Medication
A notable side benefit of acupuncture is with the pain management by the body it can reduce the reliance on conventional prescribed pain medications. With the recent crisis in American revolving around the abuse of opioids for pain management this minimally invasive practice is gaining in popularity.
The American Migraine Foundation has also conducted a number of trials and studies that for the most part all show positive results. The treatments are usually about an hour in length and it has been found that a series of six treatments will deliver quantifiable results. The central nervous system includes the brain and the specific pressure points in a treatment activate pathways in the brain that are responsible for turning the pain off.
Headaches and migraines can seriously impact your quality of life. Treatment with conventional painkillers curbs the pain initially until the body develops a tolerance and you need to increase the amount of pain relievers. Then the spiral continues with unwanted side effects as the strength of the prescriptions increases. Alternative therapies like acupuncture for pain relief may not totally eliminate the pain but it can make it manageable and then treated complimentary with conventional pain relievers. Being non-invasive it is surely worth an attempt to see how your body reacts.