Oakland, CA – Get Help for Pediatric Migraines with Acupuncture and Herbs

I frequently get calls from parents of children who are suffering from migraines. By the time they call me, these parents have typically tried many things for their children – over the counter medications; prescription medications such as Topamax; lifestyle changes like more rest, more water, and skipping school; and trips to multiple doctors. Especially for children who are still suffering migraines after all those changes, acupuncture and herbal medicine are an excellent choice!

Recently I worked with a seven year old girl named Riley whose migraines had started all of a sudden over the summer before school started. Typically she’d get migraines in the evening. At first her parents tried over the counter pain medications, but they didn’t seem to help much. They went to the pediatrician who then sent them to a neurologist who started Riley on Topamax daily and recommended medical hypnotherapy to help her cope with the pain.

By the time I saw Riley, the migraines had continued daily for 6-7 weeks at a pain level of 8-9 out of 10. She was now back in school but had to miss school some days and could not participate in any of her usual sports activities. The neurologist suggested adding a second medication to try to tame the migraines but Riley’s parents wanted to avoid adding more medications given her age. Unfortunately, by this point Riley was also under a lot of stress about missed school, missed sports, and being unable to spend time with her friends. She spent a lot of the evenings curled up on the couch with mom while in pain.

After the first acupuncture treatment, which was a very gentle treatment given that Riley had never had acupuncture before, she was instantly less tense. Mom reported in a few days that the headaches were a little less intense and a little shorter in duration after that first treatment.

Riley returned for treatment twice a week for three weeks and started on an herbal formula to address both the headaches and the stress. After each session she was further improved – the nightly headaches reduced to only occasional headaches and were usually triggered by dehydration or unusual circumstances. Riley’s mom thanked me profusely each time I saw them for helping their family return to normal, as Riley’s stress had gone down and she was able to return to school, sports, and a fun family lifestyle.

If you’re curious about how acupuncture and herbs may be helpful for your child’s headaches or migraines, give me a call! I look forward to hearing from you.