How to Treat Migraine Headaches With Alternative Medicine

Migraine headaches are caused by intense dilations or contractions of the brain nerves. It's estimated that 10 percent of the population suffers from migraines on a fairly consistent basis. Alternative medicine, considered to be any type of treatment which isn't normally used in "conventional medicine," may help alleviate migraine headaches and their associated symptoms, including loss of vision, speech problems and weakness. Massage therapy and acupuncture are two of the more commonly-prescribed alternative medicine treatments for migraine headaches. Massage therapy involves the manipulation of tissue to reduce headache-causing tension. Acupuncture uses needles in carefully placed points to reduce the occurrence and effects of migraine headaches. Follow these steps to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet connection
• Acupuncturist
• Massage therapist

Treat Migraine Headaches With Massage Therapy

1. Decide which type of massage therapy you'd like to use. Migraine sufferers may want to consider a deep tissue or pressure point massage like shiatsu or trigger point.

2. Speak with your massage therapist prior to your appointment to discuss treatment essentials, like what you hope to achieve with your therapy or your current health condition as well as how much massage pressure you can withstand.

3. Be prepared to undress. Some, although not all, massage therapists prefer for their patients to undress fully and lie under a lightweight sheet.

4. Schedule massages at frequent intervals to prevent the return of your migraine headaches.

5. Learn more about the healing benefits of massage therapy at the "Massage Therapy Foundation" Web site (see Resources below).

Use Acupuncture to Treat Migraine Headaches

6. Talk to your doctor before you begin acupuncture treatments. This way, your physician will know you're considering the treatment in case of any adverse effects. In addition, your doctor may be able to refer you to a competent, trusted acupuncturist.

7. Read about the acupuncture procedure to avoid any surprises on the day of your appointment.

8. Speak with your acupuncturist prior to your appointment so he or she knows you're experiencing migraine headaches. It's important to be specific. The nature of your treatment may change if your acupuncturist knows you're suffering from migraines--not just headaches.

9. Ask your acupuncturist whether additional treatments will be required. This may factor into your decision to use acupuncture to treat migraines, depending on your pain tolerance level and finances.

10. Get more information about acupuncture at the "Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance" Web site (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Acupuncture and massage therapy can be moderately-priced or expensive, depending on the skill level of the practitioner, desired services and your geographical location. You may be able to offset some of the cost by checking to see if your insurance will pay for some of the treatments.
• Alternative medicine isn't designed to replace the care of a physician, especially in a life-threatening emergency. If you experience difficulty breathing, unexplained and severe pain, sudden bleeding or confusion, contact your physician immediately.

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on 7/10/2009 You can read an article about getting read of migraine by massage here: http://www.wikiscripts.net/?action=post&id=58