Migraine is a neurological condition with chronic and debilitating symptoms. With 1 in 7 people suffering The Migraine Trust estimates that the UK loses 25 million days or work or education each year because of migraine. Migraine is an instability in the way that the brain deals with incoming sensory information, this instability can be influenced by physiological changes such as sleep exercise and hunger. Up to 80% of migraine sufferers have a family history of migraine, and due to the influence of hormones, migraines are more common in women between the ages of 15-55.
The most common types of migraine fall into two categories, migraine without aura and migraine with aura; this covers rarer types such as hemiplegic migraine.
Migraine is frequently characterised by intense throbbing or stabbing pain, usually on one side of the head. However, different people suffer different symptoms that may be a whole-body experience and during an attack you may not function normally. Attacks commonly last between 4 hours and 3 days, some symptoms occur 24 hours before, or after head pain. In addition to head pain symptoms can include:
– sensitivity to light, smells and sounds
– sight problems such as aura, flashing lights or dots
– nausea and/or sickness
– tinnitus
– tingling skin
– fatigue
Conventional treatments for migraine include acute medicines taken to stop or shorten the migraine attack, these include analgesics, Anti-emetics and Triptans. Preventive medication may also be used which include hypertension medication, anti-convulsants, beta-blockers and tricyclic antidepressants. Many of these medications are associated with adverse effects.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) includes Acupuncture as a recommended treatment for the prevention of chronic tension type headaches and migraines.
The British Acupuncture Council explain that from a biomedical viewpoint, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system, influencing the body’s production of hormones and neurotransmitters. The resulting biochemical changes activate the body’s self-regulating homeostatic systems, stimulating its natural healing abilities and promoting both physical and emotional well-being.
Acupuncture can help in the treatment of migraine by:
* Providing pain relief – by stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, acupuncture leads to the release endorphins and other neurohumoral factors, this changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord (Zhao 2008, Ziilstra, 2003, Pomeranz, 1987)
* Reducing inflammation – by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors (Kim 2008, Kavoussi 2007, Ziilstra 2003)
* Reducing the degree of cortical spreading depression (an electrical wave in the brain associated with migraine) and plasma levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P (both implicated in the pathophysiology of migraine) (Shi 2010).
* Modulating extracranial and intracranial blood flow (Park 2009)
* Affecting Serotonin (5-hydroxytriptamine) levels in the brain (Zhong 2007) which may be linked to the initiation of migraines; 5 HT agonists (Triptans) are used against acute attacks.
Further information on Acupuncture treatment for the prevention and treatment of migraine, and links to the evidence, can be found on the British Acupuncture Council website.
A whole team approach to migraine treatment can be found at Oak Park Clinic. Our Multi-disciplinary Team will work together with you to support best management of this debilitating condition. Contact reception (01252 850 800)or see www.oakparkclinic.co.uk