Migraine

I have tried to reread past posts on this but haven't found a question I am struggling with. I don't mean to be cheeky about this but I am honestly wondering, Do I need to believe that accupuncture will work for it to work? (I believed my supplements would help and they didn't)(I hoped my new preventative would help but it doesn't seem to)

As much as I try to be open minded when I read I just have a hard time believing I have "chi" in my body and that it needs balancing! But my husband would like me to look into accupuncture now so I am asking....

blessings,
lisa

Yes. Whether the treatment is pharmaceuticals, supplements, acupuncture, or anything else, if you go into it thinking it won't work, it most likely will not work. Our minds are quite powerful. Thus the principle of self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think something will fail or a drug will give you side effects, etc., then that's most likely what will happen.

Hey Lisa, just like Teri said, if we go into any sort of treatment believing it won't work, it most likely won't work. The same way our minds can trick us into thinking something will work (placebo effect), we can trick ourselves into thinking something won't work.

Western physicians who use or study acupuncture tend to believe that it works because it stimulates the nervous system at key points (not because it rebalances qi). Eastern practitioners refer to these points as "meridians".

Perhaps if you think about it in a more Western sense, one you may be more familiar with, it's more likely to help you believe it will work?

Thanks Teri and MJ, I was pretty sure that is what you all would say because that is how I felt about it. MJ, your idea to look at it in a more Western sense is well put. So now I will go open my mind, research more and find someone local I can believe in!!

Really surprised how hitting the year anniversary with my specialist without much improvement has brought me down mentally. He is very attentive and supportive but we just haven't found the right combo yet.

Here's to better days! thanks again,
lisa

Hey Lisa,

I tried accupuncture 2 winters ago when I was at my down and out worst with chronic headaches and migraines in between. I'm in a medical field (pharmacy) but I'm also very open to alternative medicine. Some I find more practical in theory than others, but I also know the placebo effect is very strong.

I have to say that when I talked to the acupuncturist I used, she centered on my menstrual cycle which at the time was "irregularly regular" as I called it. I was taking birth control pills and my period came in the middle of the pack, not during the off week, but it had done that for so long that I was used to it. She wanted to work on that, saying that would "fix" my body and in turn help my headaches, which she believed were due to hormones. (Yes, some are around my cycle, but what about the rest of the month?)

For some reason, after about a month of acupunture, my periods increased to every 2 weeks and my headaches became almost intolerable. I started using Imitrex (which I had only recently gotten at a MD appt) frequently and had to get phenergan for almost daily nausea. Instead of giving up, I had a serious talk with the acupunturist and told her I honestly wasn't sure if or how the two were related or if it was just coincidence, but that I certainly was not getting "better". I told her I certainly wasn't happy with my life at that time and more or less "blamed" it on her since she was the only change.

We decided to focus on my neck (which is where my migraines often start) and drop the whole hormonal thing. Several weeks later I also had a yearly gyn appt and stopped the BCP. While it took several months for that whole health crisis to work itself out (a winter I NEVER want to repeat) I did stop the accupunture after about 3 months total. I usually work PT but they lost their FT person so I stepped in for a while until a replacement was found and I decided the acupunture just wasn't working for me so it was an easy out.

I will say that it was relaxing and I did like the person I went to. She was not pushy, she took a thorough health history, all the way back to my childhood, which NO ONE has ever done. It made me think about a lot of things that could be related to both my crazy menstrual cycle (which ironically is as regular now as it's ever been in my life!) and neck/head aches (ie, that fall off the swingset when we were all going to be the next backyard gymnastics star). She was very up to date on foods/additives that cause headaches (though I've yet to give up my diet cokes).

I was also seeing a massage therapist (who I've seen for 3-4 years) and a chiropractor (saw him for about 9 months?) at the time. She was smack in the middle of the chiro. At this time I am considering reflexology. Mostly b/c I have 1 technique for the hand that really works for me that my massage therapist taught me but I get a cramp in my hand when I do it. I'd like to learn a few other tricks.

So while yes, I think you do need to go into thinking it might work, I also think you don't have to believe 100%. I think you have to be interested, which I was. I didn't have any idea if it would work or not. I was desparate and figured what the heck? You do have to look at the cost. I think I paid about $65 per session after the first one, so it does add up. And that's pretty low from what I read on the internet. I'm in a large mid-atlantic city.

Good luck. I've heard many folks say it's worked for different problems - knee, carpal tunnel, back, fertility, etc. LOL, my family was gone all last week and I had nary a twinge of a headache, even though I worked every day with a bad cold and my period starting! Huh, maybe I just need to send them on spring break all the time.

Diane

Thanks Diane for all your info and experience. I have found two that I am going to call and get prices and also see how much info, phylosophy I can find out over the phone. They were both recommended by two separate people.

It is frustrating trying to juggle multiple triggers or contributing factors like hormones and your neck. Hope you have found services that help you. When you said no one had taken such a thorough health history that reinforced how much I appreciate my migraine specialist. He walked me through years of these migraines and was very thorough.

I will let you know when/if I go. I definately feel more at peace about trying accupuncture.

blessings,
lisa

I have tried acupuncture, i prefer alternative treatments as they will not cause other side effects.

hi Lisa ebk,
i have tried acupuncture, it did work as long as i went once per week. unfortunately, this was not covered by my insurance and i had to stop going , very costly. from what i have seen though, there was a bill to try and make acupuncture covered by insurance. not sure the results.

anyway, your question. i did not believe it would work nor did i not believe it would work. i just went with it as a hope i would find a better treatment for me. and i did.

so maybe you need to go more often. twice a month did not work for me but once a week did.

good luck and have a migraine-free day.
Lorraine

I had my first acupuncture appt this morning. I had done my research and found someone I felt comfortable with and me and my open mind did it. I am still migraining from monday nights monster and it did not make that go away, get better or worse. But it was relaxing and actually overall fairly unremarkable. I am going to give it once a week for four weeks and see what happens. She also put some very tiny "tacks" on my hands with a bandaid material. I am supposed to put pressure on it for a few minutes at a time.

I will check with my insurance company, thanks for the thought Lorraine.

I'll keep you updated,
lisa

During my second session this morning I got a migraine on the scupuncture table right after the needles were put in. (She has a white noise machine that sounds great, found it on amazon and just ordered it.) Now do I continue my committment to trying this for four weeks?

looking for the blessings,
lisa

Well, whether or not to continue is a tough call. It's possible that something triggered you during the treatment, but it's just as possible it was something unrelated to the treatment, too. You'll never know if you don't try, but it's easy to understand why you'd be hesitant.

I did the same thing with chiropractics. The first kind I tried wasn't for me, and left me with screaming migraines. I wrote it off for a long time. I got up the gumption to go to a different kind of chiropractor a couple of months ago, and now it's the best thing since Wonder Bread,and I'm thrilled with the results. I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't tried again, though.

I have just recently started Acupuncture treatment. I have had three treatments. I am supposed to go twice a week, but I have been going once a week. As for if you have to believe; I went in not believing but after the first time I did not have a headache for 6 days and she also has helped my IBS. I am slowly becoming a "believer" The Dr. also did say that since I have suffered with pain for so long, it will take a while to become "pain free" Which I guess makes sence. Now each time I have gone I have had a terrible migraine and two out of the three time I left with it almost gone, then took an Orphen CPD DS pill and it was gone. Now this last time if I would have laid there longer the headache would have subsided but I couldn't lay there anylonger. That is a downfall; timewize it takes at least an hour once you have all the needles in. Also I like that she helps your "whole" self Still I don't know if I am a believer but it seems to be helping and since there doesn't seem to be terrible side effects I am going to keep on going

Rachel,

I'm so glad the accupuncture is starting to help you! Here's to continued success!