Migraines and Traditional Chinese Medicine: From Surviving to Living
The language chronic migraine sufferers use to describe their pain can leave those of us who don’t relate struck dumbfounded.
It feels like my brain is ripping itself apart.
It feels like my brain is swelling, trying to burst from my skull.
It feels like a knife is being stabbed through my eye and into my brain, repeatedly.
It’s estimated that 2-5% of the population suffers from headaches 15 or more days out of the month – in other words, spending more than half of the days in a month in pain, and at least 8 of those days with the type of symptoms described above. This type of chronic pain disrupts lives, causing people to regularly lose work, miss out on time with family and friends, and more. Pain at this level causes grief of what is lost. Having regular migraines can feel like your life is being stripped away from you, being replaced by a maelstrom of isolation and pain.
The medical solution to this crippling problem is often medication – things like beta-blockers, anti-convulsants, and TCAs. These medications can bring great relief for some, but not others, and are often linked to a whole host of side effects; including brain fog, memory issues, fatigue, dizziness, and more.
While we are still figuring out modern solutions to migraine pain, we can see that the first reference to treating head pain in TCM dates back thousands of years. Traditional Chinese Medicine has many insights and wisdoms into head pain, headaches and migraines, that we are lucky enough to be able to tap into in the modern day.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Migraines
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, migraines are generally associated with changes in the natural world and in the energetic body. There are a number of specific TCM concepts that are thought to be related to migraine onset and pain.
Troubles with the Liver
In TCM, the concept of the Liver organ system is not limited to just the organs themselves, but the idea of energy, or Qi, and how it flows throughout the body. When the flow of Qi is interrupted in the body, this is often referred to as Liver Qi stagnation. Liver Qi stagnation is often associated with stress, emotional disharmony, or hormonal imbalances in women, and migraines are a notable symptom stemming from these disruptions. Liver Fire, associated with heat, redness, and pent up emotions such as anger and irritability, can be another cause of migraines. Liver Fire migraines may come after high stress or emotional outbursts.
Qi or Blood Deficiencies
Qi and blood work in harmony in the body, moving and nourishing each other. Many things can disrupt the proper generation of Qi and blood in the body; illness and trauma, diet and exercise, cold, stress, or even genetics. These can cause slowness, depression and distress, and pain, like that of migraines. These migraines may be brought on at the end of a menstrual period, or following an ailment or injury, and may worsen with exposure to cold or lack of rest.
Wind
In TCM, Wind is one of the Six Pernicious Influences, and considered to be the origin of many diseases. Wind, both in nature and in the body, comes and goes, and is unpredictable and fast moving. Wind is associated with things like Parkinson’s, and dizziness, and can sometimes enter the body through the back of the neck. Migraines caused by wind might be variable, in different places of the head on different days. These pains can be mild one day and severe the next, seemingly brought on randomly, without pattern.
Acupuncture for Migraines
Acupuncture and electroacupuncture have been documented to be effective with headaches and migraines, reducing frequency of migraine attacks, and lowering the severity of pain when the attacks come on. The brain of those with migraines have a hyper-sensitive cortex, which causes an electrical storm that cascades into migraine symptoms. With the balance and regulation that acupuncture brings, treatments can help to balance the brain and calm the electrical storm. In addition, acupuncture can reduce bodily inflammation and stress, help regulate hormonal and emotional fluctuations, and assist in the flow of Qi.
Other TCM modalities of healing, such as cupping, gua sha, and herbal medicines, can be a helpful part of a migraine treatment regimen, as well. With these methods, the path to reduced discomfort can be both calming and symptom-free, helping migraine sufferers go from just surviving, back to living.
