In November of 1997, a National Institutes of Medicine committee of experts reported that acupuncture, based on scientific research, effectively treats headaches. People who have suffered severe migraines, cluster headaches, tension headaches, and many other types of headaches have been able to eliminate this disorder with acupuncture therapy. The process itself appears quite simple from the patient's perspective.

    A patient lies on an acupuncture table. An acupuncturist inserts hair-thin needles and many patients then fall asleep for the 15 to 45 minute treatment period while others experience deep relaxation. Next, the acupuncturist removes the micro-needles and typically any headache that may have been present prior to the treatment will have been eliminated. This is a very relaxing and pain-free experience for the patient.  

    Although the headache need not be present prior to the treatment, it is often the most effective time for treating this ailment. The reason for this goes to the very heart of answering the question, how does acupuncture work?  Modern research demonstrates that acupuncture points are typically areas of the body that either exhibit very high or very low electroconductance relative to other areas of the body. The majority of these points are organized into 14 meridians that are essentially lines running bilaterally and vertically across the body. Most of the meridians, also known as channels, run the same course as a corresponding nerve or artery. When a headache is present, acupuncture points that typically exhibit high conductivity will often exhibit either low conductivity or fluctuating electrical conductivity. When the acupuncture point is stimulated, the electroconductivity is restored to normal levels.

    If a patient presents with a migraine headache on the left side with pain running from the eye to the back of the neck, acupuncture points may be applied to areas near the suboccipital (back of the head) region. Acupuncture points on the arms or legs may be applied because they reside on an acupuncture channel that runs through the scalp. This is why it is not uncommon to eliminate a headache by stimulating a point on the hand or foot. Following the treatment, whether a headache had been present or not, the patient's electrical pattern has been balanced in the acupuncture channels affecting the head. This is because there is a natural homeostatic response in the body to acupuncture stimulation, however, often several acupuncture treatments are necessary to maintain balance in the meridians and therefore prevent future headaches.

    During a headache, the electrical disturbance is often heightened which presents an opportunity to efficiently correct this disorder. The electrical disturbance is also present between headaches only not at the same level of dysfunction. Acupuncture conditions the body to return to balance during the headache. This is why acupuncture treatments are effective for the treatment of headaches during the attack itself. Since most headaches are unpredictable, an acupuncturist is accustomed to treating the condition when it is not active as well.  In either situation, acupuncture is an effective and long-lasting method for the elimination of headaches and migraines.

© Adam L. White, L.Ac. 1999

 

 

    Conveniently located on the corner of 49th St. and Capitola Road in Capitola, the Capitola Health Center is located across the street from the Shadowbrook Restaurant parking lot.  The Capitola Health Center is 5 minutes from Capitola Village and just a few blocks from the ocean.

    The Capitola Health Center is located near 41st Ave and Highway 1 in Capitola between Soquel, Aptos, and Santa Cruz.  The clinic is also convenient for Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Brookdale, UCSC, Los Gatos, Saratoga, San Jose, Palo Alto and surrounding areas.