Over the years the team at Release Health & Wellness Clinic have treated hundreds of headaches, with amazing results. Acupuncture is very effective in treating the different types of headaches because it:
- Stimulates nerves and pressure points in the body to relieve symptoms
- Brings the body back into balance
- Releases muscle tightness around the affected area like the neck and shoulders
- Encourages the bodies endorphins, which in turn reduces the intensity of the pain experienced.
- Stimulates blood flow to decrease stagnation caused by inflammation.
- Regulates the chemicals in the brain that control the constriction and dilation of blood vessels that will alleviate the pain
- Reduces stress levels by regulating hormone levels.
- Recovers and builds the immune system to help aid in the regulation of the inflammatory response and the production of pain- promoting hormones known as prostaglandins
Headaches happen when the muscles or blood vessels swell, tighten, or go through other changes that stimulate the surrounding nerves or put pressure on them. These nerves send a rush of pain messages to the brain, and this brings on a headache. There are three main types of headache, those being tension, cluster and migraine.
- The tension headache is the most common affecting 90% of our Toowoomba headache clients. The pain with this type of headache radiates from the neck and shoulders then scatters to multiple points around the head region. Clients complain of feeling as though someone is pressing or squeezing on the front, back, or both sides of the head or a dull, aching and constant discomfort.
- The cluster headache can have a duration of weeks to months depending on the attack. It’s classed as a neurological disorder and typically presents pain on one side of the head and around the eye. Most clients experience watery eyes, nasal congestion and swelling on the side affected.
- Migraine headaches are moderate to severe. They have a pulsing nature and can last from 2 to 72 hours. The symptoms can vary mostly they include nausea, vomiting, sensitive to light/sound/smell and an aura.
So how many sessions might you need to treat your headache? Every Toowoomba headache case is different because we are all very individual. Depending on your personal history, duration of pain and if you are aware of what triggers your headaches, and if you do the home care plan that we recommend, then it is likely that you’ll need one session per week for 4 -6 weeks, at which point we will re-evaluate the need for, and frequency of your treatments.
Health & Happiness,
Meagan