Did you know that up to a quarter of all households have someone who suffers from migraines?
If you’re one of them, you know the havoc they can wreak. Plans have to be cancelled, noise needs to be shut off, and lights must be dimmed for many that suffer from this debilitating pain.
Because of this, many people wonder if prescription or over-the-counter medication is the only answer to feeling better. While these meds can provide great relief for symptoms in the short- term, there are also natural, holistic options that may help for long-term alleviation.
Frequently, CNMA treats clients with one of the following types of headaches:
Migraines – typically a pain that starts in the front of the head and is accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, auras, and tunnel vision
Tension Headaches – commonly connected to stress and may also include low back pain and tension in the neck
Cluster Headaches – persistent headaches that are consistent for a few days to weeks and then disappear for a month or two before returning
Not only are these headaches disabling, but the day after may be as well when headache or migraine “hangover” can happen. This feeling of fatigue, nausea, brain fog, and difficulty focusing can come on strong after a nap or deep sleep following a headache or migraine episode, making the episode last even longer.
The good news is that there may be hope for long-term reprieve.
Naturopathic medicine takes a holistic approach to relieving acute symptoms as well as searching for the root cause of the pain so it can be treated accordingly.
The following steps are common for reducing or stopping headaches or migraines at our office:
1. Treat Pain Immediately.
When someone is suffering from a headache or migraine, it’s important to first manage the pain, primarily with acupuncture but can also be treated with over-the-counter or prescription medication from a primary care physician.
When the nervous system is unbalanced due to headache pain (mostly from blood vessels narrowing or widening), acupuncture can calm it and relieve the pain. Many feel the effect of this during the session itself.
Acupuncture can be used by itself or in combination with medication to squelch pain immediately.
After pain symptoms are calmed, testing and/or analysis can help discover the underlying cause of the headaches or migraines.
Testing may include analysis of:
– food sensitivities
– hormones
– heavy metal toxicity
– thyroid
in addition to a look at diet, exercise, sleep patterns, and stress that may have a connection to the pain.
2. Prevention Through Herbs and Acupuncture.
Once testing and analysis is done of possible triggers, targeted herbal supplements paired with acupuncture treatments can begin to reduce or even eliminate headaches or migraines long- term.
Frequently, the following herbal supplements are recommended depending on test results:
– magnesium
– butterbur
– riboflavin
Over time, the use of medications can lessen or stop while acupuncture treatments are typically spaced further and further apart. For some, herbal supplements may eventually be weaned off as well.
As you can see, naturopathic goals for headaches and migraines are not only to stop pain when it happens but to also work towards lessening them altogether.
Do you suffer from frequent headaches or migraines?
If you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs or the Greater Denver Metro area and need immediate help during our business hours, please call us at (303) 688-6698.
To discuss long-term reduction of your headaches and migraines, please click here to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to talk about your type of headaches and to receive recommendations of next steps in working towards a pain-free life.
You may not be another household dealing with migraines for much longer!
REFERENCES:
https://migraine.com/migraine-statistics/
https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/understanding-migrainethe-science- of-migraine-how-to-deal-with-postdrome/
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