Despite sometimes very intense pain migraine headaches are still considered so called 'primary' or 'benign' headaches, in that, other than causing a lot of pain, they do not do harm to the body ( for more on dangerous headaches please see the description of these - at and near the end of the Headaches page, everything written below the pictures).
Migraine headaches vary, but can cause a variety of symptoms, often a throbbing, pulsing headache on one side of the head. There may be nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine headaches are sometimes preceded by warning symptoms. Triggers include hormonal changes, certain food and drink, stress and exercise.
Both Acupuncture and Osteopathy (including Cranial Osteopathy) can be helpful in treating Migraine headaches. One recent German study found that Acupuncture is as effective as medication for treating migraine headaches. In this study, the participants found that Acupuncture reduced the number of migraine attacks to half that exprierienced previously.
Acupuncture points can be at other places in the body (for example, the hands and feet) that can have an affect on the head. We often treat with cranial osteopathy, lightly holding the head, and at the same time as giving acupuncture. This can often work well. But this, of course, depends on your preference (if you like acupuncture).
Osteopathically, the head has a relationship to the spine or vertebral column (and the spinal cord is part of the brain) - and so we may end up treating any spinal lesions (or somatic dysfunctions) and working on the back also. Perhaps the most relevant part of the spine to headaches is the upper back and shoulder blade (scapula) area. This has a direct connection (by muscle attachment, etc) to the neck and head. This is an area (shoulders and upper back) where many people will hold any stress and tension, in these muscle groups. Anything do do with 'poor posture' (e.g. a flexed forwrd posture, or hunching forward - perhaps a lot of desk work) will tend to affect this area.
Osteopathically, we look at the 'big picture', the whole body, not just where the pain is - but perhaps what may be underpinning it, or contribulting to it. Perhaps, Osteopathy is far more 'global' than many other kinds of medicine, where they may only look at one part, in isolation. Osteopathy tends to look at the whole. This can give much better results.
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