The Symptoms of Migraine Headache

The pain is usually throbbing (because it is vascular). Migraines may be one-sided (the word migraine is a 15th century adaptation of the latin hemicranium, which means one side of the head) but not necessarily; migraines can affect your entire head. They can last from an hour to a few days, and often are accompanied by nausea or vomiting. You may also suffer from light, sound, or smell-sensitivity. Indeed, these last three may trigger your attacks. Migraines may or may not be preceded by an aura. The migraine aura may be a visual disturbance such as flashing lights or loss of peripheral vision, or one-sided tingling or numbness, heaviness of limbs, or even difficulty speaking. These are symptoms of the increased vascular pressure in your brain.

Have you been curious about the treatment of migraine headaches with acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine?

Migraine can have many different manifestations, including digestive symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, as well as neurological symptoms such as vertigo, lightheadedness, double vision, sensitivity to light and sound, weakness, loss of balance, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.

Migraine can also occur without a headache, so diagnosis needs to be made primarily by having a good history and by an attentive physician who is knowledgeable about the many facets of migraine.

Traditional Chinese acupuncture can be very helpful in addressing the causes of migraine, even though an exact Chinese diagnosis will likely not include the word "migraine", as the type of diagnosis which is made in Chinese practice speaks more to the imbalance which is underlying the symptoms.

Whether by Western or Chinese diagnosis, most patients actually have a mixed headache disorder, in which tension headache, sinus headache, and vascular headaches such as migraine may occur in different times and under different circumstances.

Over the past 50 years, increasing numbers of Western patients and physicians have been utilizing acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines to treat all sorts of acute and chronic pains in the head, face, neck and shoulder. It is not unusual to have back pain accompanying headache, so symptoms beyond the headache should always be considered.

Patients who are inadequately treated by Western pharmaceuticals should consider trying Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Although Oriental medicine often requires more effort on the part of the patient, there are many fewer risks and side effects from acupuncture and herbal medicines than there are from pharmaceutical treatments. And, when the treatment corrects other symptoms not usually addressed by migraine medications, patients are generally satisfied.

The increasing costs of drugs and the subsequent costs of treating side effects and complications is creating more interest in investigating the use of traditional medicines to treat migraine headache. Modern studies are confirming the value of acupuncture as well as traditional herbal medications for migraine as well as many other frustrating conditions.

Multi system disorders such as migraine headache may require individualized treatment protocols, and patients may find that their diet and emotional state may need to be addressed in addition to treatment with acupuncture. Unlike modern standardized medicine, the same approach is not always appropriate for those of different ages or sex, or who note that the triggers for their headaches are different.

Certain foods may be associated with headaches, and patients may find that headaches occur at particular times during the menstrual cycle, or in response to seasonal changes. Emotional issues too may be an important component in the evaluation of migraine, and Chinese medicine is uniquely applicable to complex problems of this sort.