Migraine Headaches Can Be Managed

Headaches are miserable things that encompass the whole body. When a migraine begins to form it causes an individual to slowly seep into a debilitating state, the reason being is that a migraine attack is a neurological condition that affects the blood vessels in the brain. A migraine headache is caused by an enlargement of blood vessels that creates a series of chemicals to be released and attack arteries in the brain. Once the chemicals have been released to wreak their havoc, the enlarging of the arteries begins to send painful symptoms that only magnifies until the arteries have stopped expanding or migraine relief has been found.

The pain of a migraine can last up to seventy two hours and leave the migraine sufferere struggling to maintain functionality making the need for treatment a must have. There are several ways that a migraine sufferer could find relief from their chronic pain. Treatment options could include the use of prescription medications like antidepressant or triptans. Triptans are a collection of tryptamine-based drugs. Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid that can be found in certain vegetation such as plants, fungi and animals. Triptans are used as a tool to prevent migraines from being successful in completely immobilizing an individual; however severe side effects have been recorded with their usage.

Natural migraine treatment options can come in  a variety of methods two being the use of acupuncture and massage therapy.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture as a therapy originated as traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is based on the premise that there are patents of energy that flow through the body are and essential to total body health. Acupuncture uses stimulation of specific acu-points on the skin by inserting needles that range in length from 1 cm to 10 cm. A typical treatment involves the use of 5 to 15 needles and the generally the acu-points vary during each treatment session.

Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture aims to treat the particular symptoms that are unique to each migraine sufferer. Individual treatment is vital for achieving relief as each person deals with and experiences differing migraine symptoms. Studies have proven that in fact acupuncture can be beneficial to providing relief in migraine sufferers especially in regards to pain and relaxation which aids in lessening fatigue. Many individuals who have used acupuncture as a course of treatment for their migraine symptoms reported having an overall decrease in pain after only one session, and most reported an ability to fall asleep naturally and sleep deeper and longer on the nights that followed an acupuncture session. Other areas which acupuncture can be of benefit to migraine Sufferers are by:

• Lessens Pain
• Lessens Fatigue
• Increasing Energy Levels
• Increases Relaxation
• Aids in Immunity (Better overall Health)
• Very Low Risk
• No Drug Interactions

Massage Therapy

The two main symptoms that are presented by the condition of chronic migraines are fatigue and pain. Massage therapy can aid in lessening both of these symptoms by helping the migraine suffer to be able to experience less pain, obtain more sleep, and also to help relax some of the tightened and stiff muscles that can contribute to much of the pain. Research has proven that the use of massage therapy as a form of migraine treatment can help migraine sufferers experience deeper levels of sleep and lessen levels of pain and fatigue. The way that massage therapy accomplishes this is by using the different forms of massage to help oxygenate the body as a whole which can decrease the severity of symptoms that a migraine sufferer will experience. Massage therapy can help migraine sufferers find relief from their symptoms specifically by:

1. Improving Sleep
2. Decreasing Anxiety & Stress
3. Increasing Blood Circulation

Forms of Massage Therapy Used

First of all it is important to note that massage therapy, especially when performed on a Fibromyalgia patient, should be administered by a trained professional, preferably a trained professional who is accustomed to working with patients who suffer from Fibromyalgia. Some of the forms of massage therapy that are commonly used for Fibromyalgia treatment are:

• Swedish Massage
• Positional Release Techniques
• Myofascial Release
• Reflexology
• Passive Stretching
• Energy Healing Cranial-Sacral Therapy
• Proprioceptor Neuromuscular Facilitation
• Neuromuscular Therapy

Tags: headaches, migraine attacks, migraine treatment, Migraines, side effects, symptoms, treating migraines, vascular headachce