About five years ago, a friend recommended I try acupuncture for my migraines. I have mixed feelings about (un)solicited advice. On the one hand, I’m open-minded, keen to get better, and curious to learn about my options. On the other hand, I’ve had more than my fair share of advice that is a bit tedious, especially when it is delivered in a ‘this is THE cure for EVERYONE’ manner.
Moreover, I’m not a fan of needles and have to lie down when nurses take blood. The idea of deliberately having a dozen put in all over my body is not ideal. I understood they were smaller than the sort used for vaccinations and blood-letting, but I was still very squeamish about the idea.
Anyway – I decided to give it a go.
The lady that I was recommended to, took the time to listen to my medical history, asked all the right questions, and then started the session with a soothing massage. Then she popped in a few needles. By the time she had finished, I had a migraine. Her parting words were something to the effect of ‘I’m in the right spot then.’ I stumbled out to the shopping centre carpark and had to sleep in the car for an hour before I was able to drive safely home to bed.
I went back two weeks later. This time she told me to drink lots of water beforehand and eat a light meal. I complied. I really wanted this to work. This time, I also had my husband hovering nearby so he could take me home if needed. And take me home he did. Acupuncture gave me a migraine. Again.
The third and last time I went, she did not trigger a migraine, but I also didn’t feel any benefits from the procedure. I started to wonder if maybe my anxiety (about the needles (and their migraine-triggering effect)) had made me less open to getting better.
(I’ve got a strong feeling that I’d also be the kind of person who couldn’t be hypnotized. I’d say “I’m open to the experience” but I’m not really. And my subconscious skepticism and closed-mindedness would ruin the opportunity to have an authentic experience.)
Researching acupuncture more recently, I discovered that you may need to go for up to 10 visits before you experience significant results. That’s a lot of time and money… but not if it works for you.
I’m thrilled that acupuncture brings relief for so many people with chronic pain, and I would still recommend it as an option to try. My only advice is to organize someone to take you home afterwards just in case, and double check with your doctor first that it’s OK for you.
Here’s a couple of websites and videos that explain the benefits of acupuncture for migraine in more detail than I can:
Acupuncture and Migraine | American Migraine Foundation
Acupuncture – The Migraine Trust
(4 mins (ends with a ‘hook’ not an answer)) Acupuncture for Migraine
If you’re into scientific or medical papers, there are plenty that review clinical trials to determine if acupuncture reduces the severity or frequency of migraines. If you scroll to the conclusions, results appear to suggest that acupuncture CAN reduce the frequency of migraines, is at least as effective as drugs, and may even be more effective than Botox:
Acupuncture for migraine: A systematic review and meta-analysis – ScienceDirect
Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine – Linde, K – 2016 | Cochrane Library
Curious to hear if acupuncture (or hypnosis!) has worked to reduce your chronic pain.
Until then, take care and all the best for the upcoming weekend, Linda x
The Mindful Migraine 
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