How Chinese Acupuncture Helps Solve Tension Headaches
Many peoples in the UK suffer constantly from tension headaches. It is one of the most common disorders in neurological practice as most patients might have one or two tension headaches each month, or even more at times of stress. Unlike other headaches (including migraine), patients with tension headache are usually able to continue with normal activities despite having a constant throbbing headache. However, they are normally well between headache attacks.
Careful clinical examinations and investigations are not usually necessary unless patients present with unusual signs and symptoms, or something other than tension headache is suspected. It is known that tension headache is responsible for the loss of more working hours than most major neurological and neurosurgical disorders for which curative treatment is available. In western Medicine, tension headache is a relatively neglected subject, largely because it does not cause death or permanent disability.
There are certain factors which are usually initiating the attack of tension headache and could play a major role in the severity and frequency of the attacks:
- Over-activity in certain muscles in area like scalp, forehead and neck could trigger tension headache and induce a dull ache or tightness in these areas, often experienced as a tight band around the head or a heavy weight on top of the head.
- Some psycho-physical tensions or emotional stresses, for example excessive anxiety, excitement, depression, physical tiredness, anger and frustration could initiate tension headaches.
- Certain physical injuries such as spinal and head injuries.
- The Diet could play a major role in triggering tension headaches. Some types of food may precipitate tension headache attacks because they contain chemical substances such as 5-hydroxytryptamine (in bananas, tomatoes and pineapples), histamine (in cheese and red wine), betaphenylethylamine (in chocolate), tyramine (in pickled herrings, cheese and marmite), sodium nitrite (in bacon, salami and hot dogs) and octopamine (in citrus fruits).
- Tiredness, fatigue and ill health: Over-exertion, exhaustion, overwork and failure to relax physically and/or mentally may trigger a tension headache attack. Lack of sleep is also very likely to provoke a headache reaction in predisposed patients.
- In women, disturbance in menstrual cycles and other hormonal imbalance might trigger tension headaches.
- Certain medications could cause tension headaches: Besides alcohol (especially red wine), a number of anti-depressant drugs may give rise to tension headaches and migraines in certain patients. For example reserpine, which is used to control hypertension, may provoke not only tension headache and migraine but other reactions such as shock, depression, stupor and narcolepsy. Similarly, one of the side effects of amphetamine is tension headache if it is used at a high dose or for prolonged periods at normal dosage. The use and abuse of amphetamines must therefore be noted.
- Other environmental and physical factors: Changes in the environment, such as climatic changes (extreme heat or cold, dusty or smoky atmospheres and high humidity) as well as high noise levels, high pitched sounds, intense odours and strong or poor light, may initiate an attack of tension headache. Patients with tension headache have a strong response to thermal stimuli and tend to get attacks in association with hot weather or fever.
Recent scientific research has shown that acupuncture is more effective than Western medications in treating the severity and frequency of tension headaches. The signs and symptoms of tension headache may have a severe impact daily on life of every patient. It is widely accepted that acupuncture can offer a powerful relief for tension headaches and/or without the side effects that western medication can cause. Such clinical research could offer a new avenue of study for neurologists, neurophysiologists and pain researchers, and lead the way to a better and more profound understanding of, and eventually to a better medical control of human pain.
If you are suffering from Tension headaches which disturbs your work, productivity, activities of daily living, relationships with family and friends, sex lives and your marriage, then acupuncture could provide you with safe and fast pain relief for the majority of the different types of headaches.
If you have been diagnosed with a specific type of headache in the list below, Acupuncture may well have answers for resolving your debilitating pain and reclaiming your life free from pain. We usually treat the following types of headaches:
- Cluster headaches
- Sinus headaches
- Exercise headaches
- External compression headaches
- Ice cream headaches
- Migraines
- Primary cough headaches
- Rebound headaches
- Sex headaches
- Spinal headaches
- Tension headache
- Thunderclap headaches
- Trigeminal neuralgia
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