Published Jan 24, 2019 in Brain & Spine Care, Neurosciences, Neurology, For the Health of It

Author: Alyssa Monson, Registered Dietitian

For as long as I can remember I have had “headaches.” As a kid, I remember a couple times they were so bad I would get sick and end up vomiting. I always just thought that I was reacting badly to the ibuprofen my mom would give me to help with the pain. My mom, brother and sister also had these “headaches.” We just never called them what they were…

Migraines.

Ugh, the light and sound sensitivity, the auras, the throbbing pain. For me, migraines were just something I dealt with. My treatment plan included going to the chiropractor regularly, taking Excedrin Migraine, laying down in a dark room, and hoping and praying it didn’t get so bad I would vomit. It worked OK most of the time. I never missed work and I rarely missed out on any activities because — most of the time — I knew what triggered them and was able to adjust my lifestyle accordingly.

That all changed for me early 2018 when I began getting migraines multiple times per week. Excedrin wasn’t touching them anymore, my work was suffering, my home life was suffering and I realized, at 27 years old, this is not normal.

At this point you are probably thinking, aren’t there migraine medications you can take? Yes, but as with most medications, with some side effects, and with pain as severe and often as mine, I felt there was more going on, so I decided to give acupuncture and massage a try.

I had tried acupuncture for dry eye previously with great results, so I felt confident my acupuncturist would be able to help me out with my migraines. Acupuncture is virtually painless. Aside from the tiny little pin prick when the needle goes in and the slight pressure as they adjust the needle, I didn’t feel much. I am probably the worst client because I guess you are supposed to relax during this, but I find Chinese Medicine fascinating so I was bombarding them with questions. They were very informative and answered every single one of my questions with gentle reminders that part of what helps acupuncture work is relaxing and clearing your mind… Oops. Once the needles were in and they left the room, I did really relax. My acupuncturist also encouraged me to treat myself to at least a 30-minute upper body massage to help increase the effectiveness of my treatments.

I am now five acupuncture visits and four massages in. I do my stretches at least three times per week and visit the chiropractor periodically. The best part? I have taken Excedrin Migraine only once or twice since that first acupuncture visit over six months ago and have had maybe three migraines and a few small headaches since. A HUGE change from multiple migraines per week with just a few appointments and no weird side effects. I also have started using both to help treat other ailments as well including stress relief, pain from old sports injuries as well as some quality self-care. I really look forward to my appointments as a time for myself. They are a way to slow down and breathe in this crazy, loud and stressful world we live in. To me, massage and acupuncture are no longer a luxury — they are a necessity.