Acupuncture is well known its ability to improve migraines. Thankfully, it’s just as effective for children as for adults.
At Inspire Family Acupuncture we frequently see preteens and teens with chronic migraines. Often, they start suddenly and are so intense that the child will have already had at least one visit to the emergency room and will likely already be on one or several pharmaceuticals for both migraine prevention and migraine rescue.
Acupuncture for migraines works to resolve the underlying imbalance that is leading to the migraines. In many cases we see these children having been through a prolonged period of depleting activities. This could be anything from excessive menstrual bleeding for several months, to continual anxiety or stress that’s draining the body, to overexercising or undereating. Often the hormonal transition of puberty or pre-puberty combines with a depleted body to create these unrelenting migraines.
We use acupuncture to restore balance, vitality, and energy to the body. In some cases we are working to modulate the hormonal system or to bring functionality back to the digestive system. In other cases we are working to bring excess energy out of the head to lower the migraine pain from a continual 7-9 level pain down to a more manageable 2-4 level pain.
For children who are not comfortable with receiving hair-thin needles for their migraines we use acupressure. Acupressure and/or moxibustion (another Chinese medical therapy) are both very comfortable to receive and quite effective at stimulating the acupuncture points.
We additionally prescribe herbal medicine to support the healing process. In some cases these are herbs to decrease stress or anxiety; in other cases the herbs support an exhausted digestion and/or system as a whole. The herbal formulas will be matched specifically to the child’s constitution – there is no standard herbal formula that is effective in all cases.
Our migraine clients often experience deep rest during the treatments and often find that their migraine pain goes down during the treatment. The acupuncture clinic is often a haven for children who are struggling to be at school or even to eat and move around in a normal fashion.
We always recommend continued work with the child’s pediatrician and neurologist. Other therapies can also be helpful including chiropractic care (with specific therapists well trained in treating children with migraines), homeopathy, nutritional therapy and supplementation, and other adjunct treatments such as botox for migraine.
If you have questions about whether Chinese medicine is the right approach for your child struggling with chronic migraines, call us at Inspire Family Acupuncture. We look forward to supporting your family’s health.
Lafayette, CA – My Child Has Chronic Migraines. Will Acupuncture Help?
SYNOPSIS: (160-200 characters): Acupuncture can be effectively used to reduce chronic migraine pain in childhood by addressing the underlying imbalances, reducing stress, reducing upper body muscle tension.
Acupuncture helps with chronic migraines in childhood
BY: JANET THOMSON, Inspire Family Acupuncture
Acupuncture is well known its ability to improve migraines. Thankfully, it’s just as effective for children as for adults.
At Inspire Family Acupuncture we frequently see preteens and teens with chronic migraines. Often, they start suddenly and are so intense that the child will have already had at least one visit to the emergency room and will likely already be on one or several pharmaceuticals for both migraine prevention and migraine rescue.
Acupuncture for migraines works to resolve the underlying imbalance that is leading to the migraines. In many cases we see these children having been through a prolonged period of depleting activities. This could be anything from excessive menstrual bleeding for several months, to continual anxiety or stress that’s draining the body, to overexercising or undereating. Often the hormonal transition of puberty or pre-puberty combines with a depleted body to create these unrelenting migraines.
We use acupuncture to restore balance, vitality, and energy to the body. In some cases we are working to modulate the hormonal system or to bring functionality back to the digestive system. In other cases we are working to bring excess energy out of the head to lower the migraine pain from a continual 7-9 level pain down to a more manageable 2-4 level pain.
For children who are not comfortable with receiving hair-thin needles for their migraines we use acupressure. Acupressure and/or moxibustion (another Chinese medical therapy) are both very comfortable to receive and quite effective at stimulating the acupuncture points.
We additionally prescribe herbal medicine to support the healing process. In some cases these are herbs to decrease stress or anxiety; in other cases the herbs support an exhausted digestion and/or system as a whole. The herbal formulas will be matched specifically to the child’s constitution – there is no standard herbal formula that is effective in all cases.
Our migraine clients often experience deep rest during the treatments and often find that their migraine pain goes down during the treatment. The acupuncture clinic is often a haven for children who are struggling to be at school or even to eat and move around in a normal fashion.
We always recommend continued work with the child’s pediatrician and neurologist. Other therapies can also be helpful including chiropractic care (with specific therapists well trained in treating children with migraines), homeopathy, nutritional therapy and supplementation, and other adjunct treatments such as botox for migraine.
If you have questions about whether Chinese medicine is the right approach for your child struggling with chronic migraines, call us at Inspire Family Acupuncture. We look forward to supporting your family’s health.
