HEADACHES

HEADACHES ARE A VERY COMMON PAIN CONDITION .  THE HEADACHES CAN BE SEVERE ENOUGH TO TOTALLY INCAPACITATE A PERSON.   MANY HEADACHE MEDICATIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT ARE AN IMPROVEMENT OVER PRIOR MEDICATION REGIMENS AND THE TRADITIONAL ASPIRIN OR ACETAMINOPHEN.  BUT STILL PATIENTS COME TO THE OFFICE WITH SEVERE HEADACHE CONDITIONS THAT WERE NOT SUFFICIENTLY TREATED.  SOME OF THESE HEADACHES ARE INTENSE ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED MIGRAINES AND OTHERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER CONDITIONS.  
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MIGRAINE HEADACHES ARE NOW DEFINED IN TERMS OF SEVERITY. PATIENTS DESCRIBE THEM AS THE WORST PAIN THEY HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED.   THEY HURT LIKE CRAZY.  THEY DO NOT RESPOND TO SIMPLE ASPIRIN OR ACETAMINOPHEN (TYLENOL).   THEY CAN LAST FOR HOURS OR DAYS.
THE MIGRAINE HEADACHE SUFFERER MIGHT SEE FLASHING LIGHTS,  PAIN IN OR BEHIND THE EYES, FEEL DIZZY OR NAUSEATED.  

MIGRAINE HEADACHES CAN BE TRIGGERED by VARIOUS   STIMULI: CERTAIN FOODS, ALCOHOL, MENSTRUATION, STRONG SMELLS, BRIGHT LIGHT.  SOMETIMES THERE IS NO TRIGGER.  THEY CAN RUN IN FAMILIES.
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​TREATMENT OF HEADACHES WITH ACUPUNCTURE  IS MADE SPECIFIC BY THE  LOCATION OF THE HEADACHE AND CERTAIN CUES IN THE HISTORY OR EXAMINATION.   A HEADACHE OF THE ANTERIOR TEMPLE OR IF THE PATIENT FEELS PAIN BEHIND THE EYES USUALLY RESPONDS TO ACTIVATION OF THE YANG WEI MAI MERIDIAN.  A SENSATION OF PRESSURE INSIDE THE HEAD RESPONDS TO PLACEMENT OF 4-5 SPECIFIC NEEDLES ON THE TOP OF THE HEAD.  

IF THE HEADACHE IS A RESULT OF SINUS PROBLEMS THEN TREATING THE SINUSES ALLEVIATES THE PAIN.  HEADACHES ASSOCIATED WITH TOOTHACHE OR MENSTRUATION USUALLY RESPOND TO TREATING THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS.  

THE ALLEVIATION OF THE HEADACHE PAIN CAN START ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES ARE PLACED. IT IS QUITE GRATIFYING WHEN A LONG TERM HEADACHE SUFFERER ASKS: "IS THE PAIN SUPPOSED TO GO AWAY THAT QUICKLY?"  DESPITE AN INITIAL RAPID RESPONSE IT CAN TAKE A NUMBER OF TREATMENTS OR CONTINUED PERIODIC TREATMENT TO KEEP HEADACHE SYMPTOMS UNDER CONTROL. ​