Migraine treatment with acupuncture. How we are treated for migraines: ergot, acupuncture and everything else. Modern Acupuncture Research

– a method of treating various diseases, which is often used for severe headaches. Acupuncture is a technique that helps normalize general health without any interventions, without the use of pills and physiotherapeutic procedures.

The essence of this technique is that special needles act on certain biological points of the human body. Acupuncture is used as an independent therapy or in combination with medications. It all depends on the causes of headaches and their intensity.

Causes of the pathological condition

Headache can be caused by various reasons. Often an unpleasant symptom occurs at the end of the day due to emotional and physical fatigue. Pain in the head can occur due to prolonged exposure to a stuffy room, due to colds and infectious pathologies. But all these reasons can be easily removed by having a good rest or being in the fresh air.

However, there are reasons that adequate sleep or air flow cannot cope with. For example, there is such a disease as neuritis. Its symptoms are not limited to headaches, although this symptom of neuritis has a strong intensity, duration, and is difficult and long to relieve with medications.

Neuritis is a lesion of the facial nerve that can develop as a result of pinching, the development of cervical osteochondrosis, or prolonged exposure to a draft. General signs of the disease: a feeling of numbness on one side of the face, loss of sensitivity in the skin. Neuritis can occur not only on the face. If the cervical nerve has been affected, unpleasant symptoms are felt in the upper extremities.

Nerve damage or pinching is a common pathology in people who, due to the specific nature of their work activity, remain in one position for a long time. entails an increase in blood pressure, which significantly worsens the general condition.

In order not to aggravate the situation and not lead to the development of severe complications, you need to immediately begin treatment. Along with drug therapy, doctors often prescribe acupuncture.

Even in ancient times in the East, Chinese healers knew that a person’s well-being depends on the passage of energy flows through him. When a person becomes an adult, he manages to make a lot of mistakes throughout his life, which causes an imbalance of good and bad energy, which negatively affects overall well-being.

Energy balance can only be restored by influencing certain biological points. Over the course of many decades, a map of such points on the human body was developed by trial and error.

By using needles to influence certain points in the human body, muscles and nerves relax and pain goes away. In most cases, acupuncture is prescribed for pain, the etiology of which could not be determined after undergoing diagnostics.

In fact, acupuncture helps trigger processes in the human body that promote healing. This procedure has the following effects on the body:

• relieves pain of varying intensity;
• relieves unpleasant signs of osteochondrosis, various types of neuritis;
• activates cell regeneration processes;
• normalizes the nutrition process;
• restores blood circulation;
• helps to relax the body, muscles, joint-ligamentous apparatus.

Acupuncture enhances the therapeutic effect of drugs, therefore, for severe pain, acupuncture is recommended to be supplemented with drug therapy.

How is it going?

Before performing the procedure, the doctor asks the patient about the symptoms that are troubling him, and, depending on the nature of the clinical picture and the characteristics of the case, the doctor determines the points that need to be affected:

1. If it is necessary to influence biological points in the frontal part of the head: long needles are inserted into the skin located in the area between the eyebrows and the nasal septum. The needle is in the skin for no more than 3 minutes, first the needle is inserted into the skin, then the degree of pressure is reduced and brought to a light touch to the skin.
2. Impact on the temporal lobe: the main biological point is located in line with the end point of the eyebrow and the corner of the eye. If you put your fingers on this combination of lines and move them to the side 1.5 cm, a depression is felt under the finger; this is the biological point that needs to be influenced. The needle is not inserted into the skin, but only lightly touched; the duration of exposure should not exceed 3 minutes.
3. Point on the crown. The biological point is located in the recess of the crown. The duration of exposure should not exceed 2-4 minutes. The effect of the needle on the parietal part contributes not only to the relief of headaches, but also to the overall toning of the entire body.

General characteristics of the procedure - during the session the person lies on a straight couch. If there is a need to influence the cervical spine, the patient can sit. Before inserting the needle, treat a certain area on the skin with antiseptic solutions.

The first time the needle is inserted for 10-15 minutes. The number of sessions depends on the severity of the symptomatic picture. For pain caused by the development of osteochondrosis, neuritis, 7 procedures are sufficient - daily for 1 week. To prevent symptom recurrence, acupuncture is recommended for preventive purposes several times a year.

It is important for people resorting to this method of treatment to understand that the speed of obtaining the desired effect depends on the severity of the symptomatic picture and the reasons for its occurrence. Sometimes 10 procedures are enough, but it also happens that an improvement in overall well-being occurs no earlier than after 2-4 months.

Severe pain will begin to gradually decrease in intensity. No one can predict in advance how many sessions will be needed. Whether there is a need for drug therapy during acupuncture, this question should also be considered only by the attending physician.

In most cases, medication is prescribed for severe pain symptoms and the presence of concomitant diseases.

How to protect yourself?

Acupuncture is a procedure that helps to quickly and effectively relieve pain of various types and locations; the method is especially helpful for headaches. But in order to get the desired result, you need to approach the issue of going through the procedure correctly.

First of all, it is important to carefully consider the process of choosing a specialist. If the procedure is carried out incorrectly, you may not only not get the desired effect, but also many side effects.

The person himself must go into the procedure with the right attitude. There is no need to be afraid of needles. The specialist performing the procedure knows how to insert the needle correctly so that the patient does not experience pain. In this case, only a slight tingling sensation will occur.

If during this manipulation a person experiences unpleasant sensations, one should not endure it, but immediately tell a specialist about it. Before resorting to an acupuncture procedure, it is recommended to visit a doctor to clarify the diagnosis and the causes of the pain symptom.

Many people prefer to get rid of headache pain with the help of pills. But in the arsenal of medicine there is an equally effective remedy, tested by many generations.

To use it you need some knowledge and hands - a professional massage therapist, a friend or your own.

Properly performed acupressure for headaches acts faster than painkillers, has no side effects and does not require costs or special conditions for use.

When you have a headache, massage solves the main problem - it weakens or completely eliminates discomfort. It is known that in 80% of cases, they are caused by tension in the muscles of the head and neck. Therefore, actions aimed at muscle relaxation can achieve an analgesic effect.

Important: pain is a signal of trouble in the body, so it’s worth first finding out its cause by contacting a doctor.

In addition to having a beneficial effect on muscles, massage to relieve headaches

• improves blood and lymph circulation in the skin and underlying structures;
• stimulates metabolic processes in tissues and nerve fibers;
• helps to increase performance, improve memory, vision, a person becomes more physically active;
• eliminates sleep problems, reduces symptoms of neurosis;
• The harmonizing effect of massage allows the central nervous system to establish self-regulation mechanisms, which has a healing effect on the entire body and strengthens the immune system.

There are many methods and techniques for massage against headaches. The peculiarities of the impact of some of them include the remote effect. That is, the area where a technique is applied may be located far from the place where the effect appears. For example, acupressure on an arm or leg can help relieve pain in the head.

When and to whom can it be done?

Head massage for headaches does not require special conditions; it can be done at any time. But to achieve a faster effect, it is better

• place the patient away from noise, bustle, loud sounds, bright light;
• sit comfortably on a chair or lay on a couch;
• turn on calm music;
• use aromatic oils, candles, sticks to create an atmosphere of relaxation;
• Do not do the procedure immediately after eating.

Important: before and after the massage, the patient should sit or lie down for a while.

Head massage for headaches can be done by anyone if they have no contraindications:

• severe general diseases of the body (oncology, tuberculosis, blood diseases, decompensated heart disease, kidney disease);
• high body temperature;
• mental overexcitation;
• high blood pressure;
• head injuries;
• scalp damage - pustules, fungal disease, eczema, multiple papillomas and moles.
• alcohol intoxication;
• age – more than 75 years;
• Massaging a child with a headache is not recommended for children under 2 years of age.

If there is noise in the head, you should first consult with an ENT doctor about ear disease and examine the vessels to exclude significant atherosclerosis.

Main directions

To ensure a positive effect from the procedure, massage therapists adhere to several directions.

1. General head massage. The basis is local muscle relaxation, stimulation of lymph and blood circulation.
2. Acupressure for headaches. The knowledge and techniques that acupuncture has used for centuries are applied. It is based on a reflex analgesic effect when pressing on certain active points on the human body.
3. Impact on triggers for headaches. The basis is the elimination of local spasm of muscle tissue in trigger zones, which causes a relief of pain in distant areas.
4. Elimination of muscular-tonic pain syndrome in the cervical-occipital region.

Pain relief points - how to find them

To get rid of headaches, massage therapists use areas where acupuncture points are located. The ancient Chinese developed a method of helping health by normalizing the movement of vital energy along the meridians on which important points are located. By influencing them, the healer removes obstacles to the flow of energy, and then pain and other painful symptoms disappear. In acupuncture, needles are used; in massage, the same points on the body are subjected to finger pressure (acupressure).

In order to find places for pressure, atlases are used, which indicate their location and the nearest anatomical landmarks. Massage points for headaches in people are located individually. The specialist finds the desired area, which, when pressed with a finger, responds with a sensation of bursting or aching pain.

To relieve pain, you need to influence paired and unpaired points on the head located

• symmetrically
• in the temple area at the level of the upper edge of the auricle,
• on the back of the head, where the neck muscles are attached to the skull,
• slightly above the outer edge of the eyebrow,
• at the inner edge of the eyebrow,
• above the tragus of the ear in the recess,
• asymmetrically
• above the bridge of the nose in the middle of the forehead,
• under the back of the head in the depression in the center,
• on top of the head.

Trigger points, unlike acupuncture points, are not common to everyone.

According to the theory, they occur if the body, head or limbs are in an unfavorable position for a long time and represent a local spasm of a muscle area.

Nerve impulses carry signals about trouble to the spinal cord and brain.

Interesting: the localization of trigger and acupuncture points coincides by 93%.

As with acupuncture, trigger points for headache relief can be located quite far from the area where the pain is located. For example, by massaging the area symmetrically located on the hands between the metacarpal bones of the thumb and index finger, you can prevent or stop a migraine attack.

They find the affected areas by feeling the muscles, identifying the most painful ones in tense areas. Pressing with a finger in this area causes not only local sensations, but also “referred” pain and weakening of muscles in the distance.

How to do it, techniques, methods

Many ancient treatises and modern manuals have been written on how to relieve headaches with massage. But the main thing remains the same - before performing any medical procedures, diagnosis is necessary in order to know about concomitant pathologies and not harm your health. After the examination, the specialist responsible for treatment can recommend which treatment methods should be used.

All massage methods to get rid of headaches use the same type of technique -

Acupressure, the Japanese variety of which is called shiatsu, uses acupuncture or trigger points and is performed with one or three fingers on a limited area. Sometimes it is more convenient to massage points using sticks equipped with round heads.

With acupressure, the point is subjected to continuous or intermittent rhythmic pressure and vibration for several minutes.

When acting on trigger zones, apply pressure with a finger until pain appears, then, after a minute or a minute and a half, when the pain subsides, apply more pressure, waiting for the pain to disappear.

For general, classical and its oriental types of massage - champi, Burmese, it is characterized by the impact of both all fingers and the palm. Various mechanical devices are also used.

This is especially convenient when it is not possible to visit a specialist, for example, when the patient performs a self-massage of the head.

The technique involves pre-warming the skin and muscles to increase blood flow and relaxation. They begin to massage by stroking the forehead, moving towards the back of the head. This is followed by deeper stroking, rubbing, vibration and light chaotic tapping with the fingers. The technique of lightly moving the skin is also used - as a type of kneading. Also, using circular and zigzag movements, massage the forehead from the middle to the temples, lift and slightly stretch the hair, collecting it in a handful.

Anyone can easily master this technique to get rid of headaches at home on their own. Acupressure requires deeper knowledge, so it is better to entrust it to professionals.

The body may respond with pain in the back of the head if the head has been in an uncomfortable position for a long time. For example, in a dream, when working at a computer, in other situations. This is due to tension in the muscles that support the skull. In this case, a massage of the neck is necessary, especially the back part, starting from the occipital protuberance down to the suprascapular region.

Since the thickness of the massaged muscle layer in this area is more significant than on the head, the impact is more intense using the palms. This procedure is also best carried out by specialists.

Efficiency

The positive effect of using various massage techniques for pain has been tested and proven by time. Sometimes it is the only available way to help a suffering person. For example, if you are allergic to medications. Children, who are not recommended to be exposed to medications again, respond well to a therapeutic and soothing head massage.

Head massage for migraines can stop an attack if you start it when the first symptoms occur. It also helps relieve pain at a later stage.

Neurologists recommend acupressure for migraines during the interictal period. Courses of procedures carried out several times a year strengthen the nervous system, making it more resistant to the pathological influence of external factors.

When unbearable pain pierces the head, waves of pulsation in the temples, radiating into the eyes and brow ridges - a person intuitively touches the head, tries to embrace it in order to counteract the onslaught of pain. Everyone knows that self-massage, if it does not relieve painful sensations, then at least distracts from them and makes the situation less depressing. Massage for migraines is like a lifeline. Moreover, this product is “always at hand”! With the next attack of migraine at any time, in any situation, especially if it is not possible to take painkillers, retire in silence and lie down, massage will become your lifeline.

Is it effective to use massage not only to relieve an attack, but also “with a fresh mind,” i.e. For ? Very! And this has been known since ancient times.

Massage relaxes tense muscles of the cervical-brachial region, normalizes blood circulation in the extracranial vessels, stimulates biologically active points, and finally, delivers a lot of pleasant sensations, and the hormones endorphins released into the blood are known to significantly dampen pain.

But in the case of migraines (based on my own experience), a massage that someone gives you is much more effective than self-massage. After all, if you do it yourself, it’s quite difficult to relax the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle, isn’t it?

Proceed as follows: after familiarizing yourself with the massage techniques listed below, tell your loved ones about them (and most importantly, show them!) And then when the next attack develops, they will not let you go to waste. “Train every day, and a happy day will come...” (G. Oster), when headaches will leave you forever. With this proposal I wanted to emphasize the special role of massage in the prevention of migraine attacks.

Head massage technique for migraines

If you have such an opportunity, then perform the massage in a well-ventilated room with dim lights. Take a comfortable position. If you are sitting, place your hands on the back of a chair or table, and “fix” your head in your forearms. Relax and try to concentrate on pleasant sensations rather than painful ones.

In the vast majority of cases, a person suffering from migraine has a fear of strong odors (osmophobia), therefore there is no need to use any aromatic massage oils and creams.

A contraindication to this type of massage can only be a significant violation of the integrity of the skin and pustular diseases of the massaged area.

Massage of the head, face and neck-collar area, as well as other areas of the body, begins with stroking movements and ends the session with the same. Stroking has a relaxing, warming, calming effect. Using wide movements of both hands, stroke the head, moving to the neck and shoulders.

After this, with stronger, but slower and smoother movements, begin to massage from the forehead to the back of the head with the fingers of your working hand, while the other hand lies on the back of the head, fixing the head.

In the same way, massage from the temple to the back of the head or crown.

At the same time, on both sides, massage from the tubercles located behind the ears (mastoid processes of the temporal bone) to the back of the head.

Massage movements can be arbitrary in direction, vary in intensity, but the main thing is that they do not cause unpleasant sensations to the “massed”, but soothe.

Acupressure for migraines

When carrying out wide massage movements of the head, it is necessary to linger on certain active points, the stimulation of which specifically suppresses headaches. Let’s say right away that there is no need to use all of them, you just need to try and choose the most effective ones for yourself.

Point “Gate of Consciousness (VB 20) Feng Chi” located under the base of the skull in the recesses between the two large vertical muscles of the neck.

"Wind Castle (VG 16) feng fu"- located above the spine, in the depression under the base of the skull.

"Drilling bamboo (V 2) tsuan-zhu"- located in the depressions at the junction of the bridge of the nose and the line of the eyebrows.

“Third eye point (VG 24.5) yin-tang”- located directly between the eyebrows, in the depression at the junction of the bridge of the nose and the frontal bones.

"Entering the Valley (GI 4) hae-gu"- located on the convexity between the thumb and index finger, at the top of the muscle that protrudes when the thumb and index finger join.

Attention! Using this point prohibited for pregnant women, as it can cause premature contractions. Well, if a woman is going into labor, massage it to your health, because stimulation of this point also eases labor pains!

It is advisable to influence these points both for and for its prevention.

Point 1. Symmetrical, located on the outer surface of the forearm 2 cun (3 fingers) above the upper fold of the wrist, in a depression. The patient sits with his hand palm down on the table. The point is massaged alternately on the right and left.

Point 2. Symmetrical, located in the temple area at the border of the scalp. The patient sits with his elbows on the table and his head resting on them. The point is massaged on both sides simultaneously.

Point 3. Symmetrical, located in the depression at the outer corner of the eye. Massaged like point 2.

Point 4. Symmetrical, located in the recess at the base of the ear above the zygomatic arch. Massaged like point 2.

Point 5.. Symmetrical, located in the depression at the outer end of the eyebrow. The patient is sitting. The point is massaged on both sides simultaneously.

Point 6. Symmetrical, located on the face at the inner corner of the eye 2-3 mm towards the nose. The patient sits with his elbows on the table and his head resting on them. The point is massaged on both sides simultaneously.

Point 7. Symmetrical, located on the back of the hand between the I and II metacarpal bones. The patient sits with his hand palm down on the table. The point is massaged alternately on the left and right.

Point 8. Symmetrical, located at the end of the fold, which is formed when the arm is bent at the elbow joint. The patient sits with his arm slightly bent on the table, palm down. The point is massaged alternately on the right and left,

Point 9. Symmetrical, located on the foot 3 mm from the nail hole of the big toe towards the second toe. The patient is sitting. The point is massaged on both sides simultaneously.

Point 10. Symmetrical, located on the lower leg 3 cun (4 fingers) above the inner ankle. The patient is sitting. The point is massaged on both sides simultaneously.

Point 11. Symmetrical, located on the back of the foot between the II and III toes. The patient is sitting. The point is massaged alternately on the right and left.

Point 12. Symmetrical, located on the second toe 3 mm back from the nail hole. The patient is sitting. The point is massaged on both sides simultaneously.

Point 13. Symmetrical, located on the back of the foot between the heads of the IV and V metatarsal bones. Massaged like point 12.

Point 14. Symmetrical, located on the face at the bridge of the nose above point 6. Massaged like point 12.

Point 15. Symmetrical, located on the foot 3 mm back from the corner of the nail hole of the little toe. The patient is sitting. The point is massaged alternately on the right and left.

Point 16. Symmetrical, located on the foot under the inner ankle. The patient is sitting. The point is massaged on both sides simultaneously.

Point 17. Symmetrical, located on the temporal part of the head. To find it, you need to bend your ear forward: the point will be located at the very top of the ear. Massaged like point 16.

Point 18. Asymmetrical, located on the stomach one and a half cun (2 fingers) below the navel. The patient lies on his back, relaxing as much as possible.

Point 19. Asymmetrical, located 6 tsun (8 fingers) above the navel, above point 16. Massaged like point 18.

Notes:

• 1. Massage of points 15, 16, 18 is performed using a tonic method using deep pressure and rotation. The duration of exposure to each point is 0.5-1 min.
• 2. Massage (except for points 15, 16, 18) is performed using a soothing method using light stroking and rotation. The duration of exposure to each point is 4-5 minutes.
• 3. Massage can be performed between attacks or during them.
• 4. During the session, you can not massage all the points, but only those that provide the maximum analgesic effect.

Acupuncture will conquer pain

Acupuncture– treatment of diseases by the method of “sticking” special needles into certain points. More recently, this method was viewed quite skeptically and it was believed that it in no way helps to relieve tension in the blood vessels of the head, much less relieve migraines. But recent studies have proven the opposite and scientists have recognized acupuncture as an effective method.

In acupuncture, especially thin needles are used, which are placed at special biologically active points. As a result, these points are stimulated and the headache disappears, and attacks become rare.

Acupuncture provokes the release of certain chemical compounds into the brain - endorphins, hormones and other substances that can give certain signals to the cells of the immune system. The uniqueness of this method lies in the fact that acupuncture has a fairly long-lasting effect. Acupuncture eliminates pain in the cervical and shoulder spine, relieves tension and prevents repeated vascular spasms. Remission may last several months.

Trying acupuncture on your own is prohibited! It is quite obvious that you can act on a point, the stimulation of which will have an unpredictable effect on your health!

To get rid of migraines, you need to seek help from specialists in reflexology and acupuncture, having first made sure, of course, that they are fully literate on this problem and have the necessary skills.

When writing this article, materials from the site were used:
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