Lead by De. Aylee Thierfelder, with years of experience when it comes to chronic and seemingly hopeless cases, Whitefish Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine provides a healing environment to treat and support your recovery from Migraines and Debilitating Headaches.
Whitefish Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine offers customized treatment plans designed to provide you with long-term relief from chronic headaches.
Acupuncture is a cost-effective and safe treatment modality for the alleviation or elimination of migraine headaches. Harvard Medical School, Georgetown University, University of Arizona, Creighton University, and Louisiana State University researchers report findings showing that acupuncture reduces the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks. Research indicates that patients receiving acupuncture are also less prone to secondary anxiety attacks and depression.
Globally, migraines afflict 14.7% of the world’s population. According to Mayo Clinic research, 1.5% of the USA population has received acupuncture treatment; however, migraines afflict 15.3% of the USA population. Females are disproportionately affected, with 9.7% of males and 20.7% of USA females suffering from migraines.
Brain metabolites are involved in the transmission of pain due to migraines. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirms that acupuncture causes a significant increases in metabolite levels in the thalamus. The increases provided by acupuncture therapy were correlated with decreases in migraine headache intensity levels. As a result, acupuncture’s effects on normalizing brain metabolic activity demonstrates a role in reducing pain due to migraines.
Another study in the review finds auricular acupuncture (ear acupuncture) effective for reducing the number of migraine days per month for patients suffering from chronic migraines after one month of acupuncture therapy. In 2020, a groundbreaking retrospective study of 21,209 patients with migraines confirms the efficacy of acupuncture. Acupuncture was found cost-effective for the treatment of migraines. Moreover, acupuncture reduced the risk of depression and anxiety. A thirteen-year follow-up reveals that migraine patients receiving acupuncture had significantly less incidences of both depression and anxiety.
A 2018 study took a specific look at how acupuncture produces immediate relief. Acupuncture was found effective for the reduction of migraine intensity directly after acupuncture therapy. This supplements the findings of other investigations finding acupuncture effective in producing long-term results. After 20 acupuncture visits, the incidence of migraine attacks dropped significantly when compared with control groups.
One important study concluded that acupuncture is more effective than pharmacological intervention. After 12 weeks of acupuncture or drug therapy, the acupuncture group had significantly fewer days with migraines. The results were immediate and a 6 month follow-up (post-treatment) confirmed that acupuncture produced fewer days with migraines.
The researchers concluded that “acupuncture is more effective than no treatment, sham treatment, or medication in treating and preventing migraines and that it is also associated with a greater enhancement in quality of life compared to medication.”
Acupuncture
While acupuncture is amazing at treating any type of pain condition, in the hands of a well trained practitioner like Aylee Thierfelder LAc., it has many broader applications.
FSM BioTherapy
FSM BioTherapy is a non-invasive and painless technique for treating pain by using low-level electrical currents. Various frequencies can be used to potentially reduce inflammation (swelling), repair tissue, and reduce pain.
Dry Needling
Dry needling is a technique used to treat trigger point pain and myofascial pain. Dry needling can and often results in a complete absence of symptoms, even in severe pain conditions that have been present for years.