Relieving Migraine with Chinese Medicine

10/3/13

 

Many people use migraine as an umbrella term for severe headache.  In technical terms, migraine is a chronic neurovascular disorder characterized by recurrent moderate to severe headaches often in association with a number of autonomic nervous system symptoms. The headache is typically unilateral (affecting one half of the head), pulsating in nature, and lasting from 2 to 72 hours. Associated symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. The pain is generally aggravated by physical activity.

Migraines have a wide spectrum of causes, and so treatment strategies also vary. Here I will discuss four cases of migraine headaches that I have treated successfully using Chinese medicine. Each case has a different cause and the treatments that are applied to resolve them.

 

Case 1:

A 17-year old girl has had migraines at least once a week since the age of 8. Her migraines have an interesting timing, usually occurring on Monday afternoons while she is in school. After further investigation, we figured out why.

Here is the pattern: on weekends she tends to procrastinate in doing homework.  As a result, she stays up late Sunday night to finish her homework, and it then takes a long time for her to fall asleep.  Monday morning she wakes up late and very tired, and rushes out of the house without any breakfast or liquids. By lunch time she is hungry, dehydrated and exhausted. By afternoon, her migraine has started.

In Chinese medicine diagnosis, her migraine is caused by Qi and Blood failing to rise to nourish the brain, due to lack of sleep, food and drink. In Western physiology, her cortisol cycles abnormally, being low in the morning and high at night. This can be addressed by modifying her behavior and taking Chinese herbs.

First, she works to finish homework earlier so that she can go to sleep at her normal time. She also tries to eat breakfast and drink plenty of fluids. When this is not possible, while on the school bus she eats something simple like a protein bar or fruit and drinks water. She drinks fluids throughout the day.

I custom designed two Chinese herbal formulas for her.  The Energizing herbs are taken in the daytime to boost her energy and nourish the body. The Restful herbs are taken at night prior to bedtime to improve her sleep.

Results have been remarkable. Since adopting these changes, she has had occasional headaches but no migraines.

 

Case 2:

A 31-year old man has had headaches and migraines since the age of 7 due primarily to traumatic head injuries sustained in multiple auto accidents. He has a sharp occipital headache every day, and wakes up with a migraine once or twice a week. For many years he has used prescription opioids for pain management.

Although his headaches are chronic and severe, for Chinese medicine this is a relatively clear-cut case. The cause is Blood Stasis due to traumatic injury. This can be addressed by acupuncture and Chinese herbs that invigorate blood and improve circulation to the head.

He reported great improvement following three acupuncture sessions and a 2-week herbal regimen. He has had no migraines, and occasional headaches have been temporary and mild.

 

Case 3:

A 72-year old woman has had frequent headaches and migraines since age 45. Her migraines are always preceded by aura, and when the pain is severe, she experiences increased light sensitivity. She had a hemorrhagic stroke 2 years ago and so is hesitant to take any herbs or supplements. Her goal in seeking acupuncture was to reduce the frequency of migraines.

Based on her age and health conditions, I used mainly ear acupuncture with needles and ear seeds. Ear acupuncture is very effective for treating and preventing migraines. Ear seeds were taped in her ears to provide long-lasting stimulation of the points.

With this treatment, the frequency of her migraines decreased from 2-3 times each week to once every 3-5 weeks. She is very happy with this result.

 

Case 4:

A 38-year old woman has experienced premenstrual migraines for the past six months.  Her migraines are accompanied by nausea, breast tenderness and irritability, followed by severe menstrual cramps. She reports being under severe stress.

In Chinese medicine diagnosis, this is a typical case of Liver Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis. In other words, her migraines result from emotional stress combined with hormonal changes before menstruation.

It is worth noting that Chinese herbs are very effective for treating gynecological disorders. For this patient, I used a modified version of a famous herbal formula, Free & Easy Wanderer Plus (Jia Wei Xiao Yao San). She took the herbs from the 14th day of her menstrual cycle until the 3rd day of her next period. She also received biweekly acupuncture treatment on the 7th and 21st day of her cycle.

After two months of treatment, her migraines were gone and menstrual cramps were relieved.