Migraines & Acupuncture
So what is a migraine exactly? At the most basic level, migraine is a type of sensory processing disorder caused by having a hyper-reactive brain. The brain works faster, reacts faster and sometimes over-reacts when exposed to too much stimulation. This is called a migraine attack.
If you think of your brain like an engine, the migraine brain has been modified to work faster. Push it too hard and it overheats, just like any enigine - but because our brains are already wired to run hot, they overheat often.
Managing symptoms through lifestyle modifications and reducing exposure to triggers can control the stimulation the brain receives. Medications that work to calm the brain, preventing it from overheating in the first place may also be required.
Everyone has their own experience of migraine disorder. There are different types with some not having the significant headache as a symptom. Therefore, responses may differ between individuals and triggers may vary from person to person.
To make things more interesting, trigger attacks and symptoms and the symptoms you get during an attack may change over time. Migraine is a spectrum disorder ranging from complete disability, significant effects or only mild symptoms. As with most spectrum disorders, moving up and down the spectrum is expected throughout life.
Being a primary disorder, migraine is not a symptom of something else. If unsure, a referral to a specialist neurologist can confirm if it’s migraine and not something else.
So, how do you manage this migraine disorder? Effective management requires changes to lifestyle and the exact combination will vary from person to person but here are the top five:
Establishing a routine - get out of bed at the same time, eat at the same time, go to ged at the same time - every day of the week. Getting optimal sleep is particularly important
Consider eating 5 to 6 smaller meals rather than the typical 3 meals a day. This regulates blood sugar throughout the day and may reduce attacks. No carb and fasting diests are generally not recommended for people suffering migraines.
Try an elimination diet to assess what foods may trigger an attack. This diagnostic elimination will determine foods that may trigger an attack.
Keep a diary for 3 months noting things such as stress or changes in the weather. For women, pay attention to your menstrual cycle - a migraine attack around ovulation and a couple of days before your period is common.
Moderate exercise such as 30 minutes of walking or yoga is beneficial. High impact exercise may make migraine attacks worse.
Acupuncture - A systematic review of 22 clinical trials involving nearly 5000 people found there is evidence that acupuncture reduces the frequency of headache in individuals with migraine, and that the effect may be similar to that observed with preventive medications like topiramate or beta blockers. Acupuncture is extremely safe if delivered by appropriately trained practitioners - use AACMA’s Find a Practitoner Tool https://www.acupuncture.org.au/find-a-practitioner to find an acupuncturist near you. The American Migraine Foundation recommends at least six sessions of acupuncture for the best benefit.