Traditional Chinese Medicine for Headaches

When you suffer from a headache or series of headaches, the common Western medicine treatment is over-the-counter medications and some basic lifestyle changes. These treatments, however, are often short-term and are not the most natural ways to treat your body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been effectively treating headaches naturally for centuries. Below we walk through the five most common headaches and the typical TCM treatment to alleviate each type of headache. Depending on your symptoms, a TCM practitioner may recommend something different than mentioned below.

Headache Basics

It is important to know the cause and type of headache you are suffering from. This will help a TCM practitioner know what treatments to use and what not to use. The most common types of headaches are migraine, tension, sinus, cluster, and allergy headaches. Our graphic below shows where these headaches take place and what other symptoms are associated with each type of headache.

Migraine/Cluster

Though migraines and cluster headaches are quite different, they are both cyclical, and TCM seeks to interrupt the cycle. TCM can help alleviate or prevent migraine or cluster headaches with acupuncture and herbs. It is important to know if your headaches are caused by certain triggers—including lifestyle, diet, or hormonal—and this will help reduce or eliminate the headaches altogether.

Tension

Tension headaches are the most common headaches, often caused by stress, muscle tension, and lack of sleep. Because of these common culprits, the best TCM treatments are acupuncture, cupping, and gua sha to relieve the muscle tightness and relax the body. We also recommend massage therapy for tension headaches. Click here for some massages you can do yourself.

Sinus/Allergy

Sinus and allergy headaches are associated with your body’s immune system fighting pathogens. Sinus headaches are less common and occur after allergies or an illness. Both acupuncture and herbs can help regulate your body’s immune system. Gua sha and massage therapy are also great for relieving pressure in the head and sinuses.

Interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine for your headaches? Arapahoe Chiropractic & Acupuncture in Centennial, Colorado offers acupuncture, herbal supplements, chiropractic, and massage therapy for headaches. We would love to help you or a loved one find relief. Call us or contact us online today!