Acupuncture for headaches and migraines

What headaches and migraines are

Tension headaches and migraines are the most common headaches Robert sees.

Tension headaches tend to be milder. They often feel like a band of pressure or tightness around the head. They are often linked to tight muscles in the neck, shoulders and scalp, and to stress, long hours at a screen and poor sleep.

Migraines are often severe and can be disabling. The pain is often throbbing and may sit on one side of the head. Migraines can come with nausea, vomiting, dizziness or changes in vision. Many people become very sensitive to light, sound, touch or smells, and some feel tingling or numbness in the face or hands. Migraines are complex, and their causes and triggers vary widely, from food sensitivities to patterns that run in families.

How Robert treats headaches and migraines

Robert is a certified practitioner of Toyohari, a Japanese style of meridian therapy. He trained in Japan in 2006 and 2007. He starts each visit by reading your pulse carefully. That reading guides a gentle whole-body treatment with very fine needles and light contact. Many patients barely feel the needles.

For tension headaches, Robert also works on tight muscles in the neck, shoulders and around the head. Many patients find this eases the tension and leaves them calmer. For migraines, the goal is usually fewer and milder attacks over time. As part of a longer plan, he may suggest a Chinese herbal formula. Robert sees one patient at a time, in a quiet room.

Robert also sees people whose headaches linger after a concussion, once a doctor has checked the injury. The evidence here is early and comes mostly from individual case reports, such as one on mild traumatic brain injury that combined acupuncture with neck manipulation.

What the research says

Research suggests acupuncture can help people with frequent tension-type headaches. A 2016 Cochrane review on acupuncture for tension-type headache found that the available evidence suggests a course of at least six acupuncture sessions can be a valuable option for people who get these headaches often.

For further reading:

• “Acupuncture for the prevention of tension-type headache”
• “Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine”
• “Systematic review on randomized controlled clinical trials of acupuncture therapy for neurovascular headache”

What a course of treatment looks like

Your first visit takes about 75 minutes. Robert asks about your health history, your headaches and what seems to set them off. Then he reads your pulse and gives your first treatment. Return visits take about 45 minutes.

The tension-headache research above looked at courses of at least six sessions. In Robert’s practice, a course usually runs 5 to 15 weekly sessions, depending on how often your headaches come and how long you have had them. A simple headache diary helps. Note when each headache starts, how strong it is and anything that might have set it off.

Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed. Robert does not advise on stopping or changing medication.

When to see a doctor first

Call 911 or go to the emergency room right away for:

• A sudden, severe headache that peaks within a minute or feels like the worst of your life
• A headache with fever, a stiff neck, a rash or confusion
• A severe or worsening headache after a head injury
• A headache with weakness, numbness, trouble speaking, loss of vision or a seizure

See a doctor before starting acupuncture if:

• Your headaches started after a head injury, even a minor one
• Your headaches are new and you are over 50
• Your headaches are steadily getting worse or have changed pattern
• Headaches wake you from sleep, or get worse when you lie down, cough or strain
• You are pregnant or have recently given birth and have a new or severe headache
• You have a weakened immune system or a history of cancer

Related conditions

Headaches often overlap with TMJ and jaw pain, neck and shoulder pain and dizziness and vertigo.