Summary
Suffer from Migraines and Headaches? Concept Wellness Can Help
Migraines and chronic headaches can take over your life—but relief is possible. At Concept Wellness in San Diego, we combine acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and functional medicine to treat the root causes of head pain, not just the symptoms.
Suffer from migraines and headaches? Concept Wellness can offer relief!
Migraine and severe headaches affect roughly one out of every six adults in this country and are among the leading causes of chronic pain-related disability worldwide. They are all too common a complaint among our San Diego and Southern California patients, given the allergen and sinus triggers our weather can produce year-round.
Fortunately, our team of practitioners has a long track record of alleviating these symptoms—and lessening the profound impact they can have on your life. Let us shed some light on our treatment approaches to holistically managing and preventing head pain.
Acupuncture
The ancient practice involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to balance energy and reduce pain. Studies have shown that regular acupuncture sessions can help headaches by:
- Reducing frequency: Acupuncture significantly decreases the number of migraine and headache attacks and migraine days compared to controls, placebo treatments, and even some prophylactic medications.
- Decreasing severity and duration: Research has demonstrated that acupuncture is effective at lessening the intensity and duration of pain and attacks.
- Fewer adverse events: Compared to pharmacological treatments, acupuncture has fewer adverse side effects, making it a safer option.
- Lasting effects: The positive effects of acupuncture on episodic migraines have been found to be durable; improvements last at least three months after treatment has stopped.
Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine & Sinus Issues
Treatment at Concept Wellness can also be effective for those of us in San Diego who experience chronic sinus issues, often leading to sinus pressure, headaches, sinusitis and the like.
A study review and meta-analysis found that acupuncture significantly improves symptom scores and clinical findings in patients with chronic rhinosinutis—a condition in which the nasal passages are persistently inflamed. Acupuncture has also proven as effective as medications in treating symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
By stemming the sinus effects and boosting your overall immunity, acupuncture can prevent and reduce headaches that are associated with seasonal allergies—in the case of San Diego year round!—and chronic nasal problems.
Functional Medicine Can Help Us Get at Root Causes
We incorporate functional medicine in our approach to your care—and the rolls it affords us are excellent at identifying the underlying mechanisms that trap migraine patients in chronic pain cycles. With testing, we can:
- Find imbalances, deficiencies, and sensitivities, such as food allergies or sensitivities, hormonal issues, and thyroid dysfunction
- Recognize the connection between the gut microbiome and the brain. With this in mind, we can recommend gut-soothing strategies to reduce inflammation and improve neurotransmitter function.
- Assess your exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals that may instigate headaches and migraines.
Helping us understand the unique interplay of factors that contribute to your headaches, functional medicine helps us create a personalized treatment plan. We can, for example, grasp how hormonal imbalances or swings may be leading to headache episodes. Or it may help us pinpoint nutrient deficiencies that are linked to migraines.
Our plan is always tailored to you. After all, everyone’s journey is unique. In time, as we grasp more about your body and its triggers, we can find the perfect combination of strategies that work for you.
Holistic Approaches You Can Incorporate at Home
What we do best at Concept Wellness is educate, enabling you to be proactive and make small changes in your routine that can reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines and headaches. Here are some modes of treatment and lifestyle changes we may recommend:
- Herbal Medicine. Various herbs, such as feverfew and butterbur, have been used for millennia in Chinese medicine to treat headaches. When used consistently, these remedies can help reduce inflammation and prevent migraine attacks. We can also send you home with natural herbs and supplements—all top notch brands vetted by our team—to address triggers, prevent headaches, and reduce symptoms.
- Dietary Adjustments. Certain foods can trigger migraines and headaches. Common culprits include processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, and aged cheeses. Keeping a food diary can help identify and eliminate these triggers from your diet.
- Dehydration is a common cause of headaches. Are your drinking enough water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated and your headaches away?
- Stress Management. Stress is a significant trigger for many people with migraines. Have you tried techniques such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, and deep-breathing exercises? Studies demonstrate that these practices can reduce headache frequency by up to 50 percent when combined with other treatments.
- Monitoring Cortisol. Regular monitoring of stress hormones, particularly cortisol, can also help guide headache treatment protocols and identify when additional interventions may be needed. This biomarker-based approach allows for more precise and effective headache treatment strategies
- We offer therapeutic massage at Concept Wellness. Regular appointments with our practitioners can reduce stress, relax muscles in the head, neck, and shoulders, and improve circulation, all lowering the intensity and frequency of migraine attacks. Physical therapy may also be a help to learn stretches and habits to support relaxed muscles.
- Poor sleep can contribute to headache disorders. If you want to stem painful episodes, you will want to establish a regular sleep schedule. Learn to create a relaxing bedtime routine. And create a sleep environment that is
- comfortable and conducive to rest.
- This essential mineral plays a crucial role in nerve function and blood pressure regulation. Some studies suggest that magnesium deficiency may be linked to migraines. In addition to supplements you can take, be sure to incorporate magnesium-rich foods, such as leafy greens, nuts, and seeds into your diet.
- Essential Oils. Aromatherapy with peppermint and lavender essential oils can provide relief from headache pain. Apply diluted essential oils to your temples or inhale their soothing scents.
- Learn to control physiological functions such as muscle tension and heart rate with this powerful tool for preventing and managing headaches.
Emerging Research and Therapies
The latest research in headache treatment continues to reveal new therapeutic options, including peptide therapies and advanced nutritional interventions that can enhance traditional treatment approaches. Count on our Concept Wellness team to stay abreast of emerging therapies and innovative technologies.
For example, we incorporate the Dolphin Neurostim in our practice—which uses microcurrent point stimulation (MPS), a form of electro-acupuncture, to help relieve certain types of headaches and migraines. The device is a handheld tool that applies low frequency, concentrated micro-impulses to specific neurological points on the body. MPS can:
- Release endorphins. Stimulating key neurological points, the Dolphin Neurostim can trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.
- Calm the nervous system. These microcurrent impulses can help “reboot” the nervous system and quiet an overstressed “fight or flight” response, which often accompanies chronic pain. This helps relax muscles and relieve pain.
- Reduce tension. Headaches can be caused or aggravated by tension in the neck, shoulders, and back. By targeting neurological points in these areas, MPS therapy can help reduce muscle tightness that contributes to headache pain.
We have so many complementary and alternative strategies to apply to bring migraines, headaches, and overall health into check. This can be such a gift to chronic sufferers of head pain—and to those for whom pharmacological approaches have failed or produced too many side effects.
Make an appointment today and let Concept Wellness begin to clear your head and relieve your pain.