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Written by Diana Abovsky
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Monday, 10 December 2007
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What are tension headaches?
A tension headache is the most common type of headache. The pain is usually felt all over the head as opposed to one specific painful spot. Neck muscles may also be tight and painful. Stress can trigger or worsen a tension headache.
How are tension headaches treated?
A medical doctor may recommend Tylenol or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) medication such as Advil. These temporarily relieve the pain but do not prevent future headaches. Long-term use of NSAIDs is not recommended because it may cause damage to the lining of the stomach.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy offers both pain relief and preventive care. If the tension headache is worsened by stress, acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy can help you respond to stress better. Acupuncture will help relax the tensed muscles of the head and neck and reduce or eliminate pain. Chinese herbal therapy can help correct the imbalance of the body that may contribute to the headaches.
Acupuncture is a safe and effective method of managing and preventing chronic pain with rare side effects. Tension headaches respond very well to acupuncture and herbal treatment in my experience. The use of acupuncture in the treatment of tension headaches has been supported by many scientific studies.
What are migraine headaches?
Migraines are not just headaches. They are a neurological condition that involves the whole body. A migraine episode may be preceded by seeing flashing lights and may involve nausea, vomiting and fear of noise and bright light. The headache itself is usually on one side of the head and has a throbbing quality.
Migraines may be triggered by lack of sleep, stress, a missed meal or a menstrual period. Some foods are believed to be migraine triggers, such as chocolate, aged cheese, nitrate- and MSG- containing foods.
The cause of migraine is considered to be dilated blood vessels of the head. Therefore, biomedical treatment frequently involves drugs that constrict blood vessels.
How are migraines treated?
A medical doctor has several medications to offer a migraine patient. Non-steroidal inflammatory drugs are used for pain relief and narcotics for severe pain relief. A special type of drugs called triptans is used specifically to treat migraine headaches. These drugs constrict the blood vessels in the head. The triptans are very effective in treating an acute migraine attack. However, they may have significant side effects, do not prevent future migraines and are very expensive.
A class of drugs called beta blockers is used to prevent migraines. These drugs may have the following common side effects: fatigue, drowsiness, decreased sexual functioning, rash and diarrhea.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy treat and prevent migraine headaches safely and effectively. A 1994 Dutch study comparing acupuncture and beta blockers in prevention of migraines found acupuncture to be at least as effective and superior to beta blockers in terms of unwanted side effects. Another study from Italy published in 2002 found that acupuncture was more effective and better tolerated than a calcium channer blocker, another drug used to prevent migraines.
My own experience with chronic migraines treatment and prevention with acupuncture and Chinese herbs has been excellent. Several of my patients have been enjoying up to 3 years of migraine-free life.
Call your doctor or go to emergency room if you have any of the following:
- headache with stiff neck and fever
- the most severe headache you have ever experienced
- headache after a head injury
- a new, severe headache
Diana Abovsky, L.Ac.
www.abovskyacupuncture.com
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