What Everybody Ought To Know About Migraines

1. CAUSE

Researchers don’t know what really causes migraines even though we do know that it involves changes in the blood flow in the brain. There also seem to be some sort of genetic component involved too as more than half of the people suffering from migraines also have a family member who is a sufferer.

2. ACUPUNCTURE WORKS

Research shows that acupuncture is effective at treating migraines. A new research shows that acupuncture is efficient at reducing pain due to migraines. Research also shows that acupuncture is better than drugs and that it has some long lasting effects (maintained improvement over a 3 years period).

3. DIET

Diet has an important factor to play. Alcohol and coffee can both trigger migraines and so are strong spicy foods. But trigger foods can be different from one person to the other and you really need to check if any other foods such as cheese, chocolate or some fruits such as citrus fruits are also a trigger.

4. STRESS

Reduce STRESS in your life. Granted, this is not as easy as it looks but finding some time during the day, every day, to do an activity you enjoy is a very good start. And if you are happy with that, you can also try yoga, TaiChi or mediation to release all the stress accumulated during the day.

5. EXERCISE

Exercise helps releasing stress which can be a strong contributor to migraines (and headaches in general). Moderate exercise routine is usually enough.

6. SLEEP

Sleep and good quality sleep is essential. Be careful to go to bed early enough (10.00pm is a good time) and avoid going to bed after midnight.

Migraines can be particularly painful and can render a patient unable to participate in daily activities or go to school or work. Acupuncture can offer powerful relief with very few side effects.

Acupuncture treatments are customized to each patient’s needs by working with the patient to determine their headache profile, migraine triggers, optimal diet and the most effective treatment approach.

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Image Klearchos via Flickr.

Getting Rid Of Backache During Pregnancy Once And For All

Back pain, along with sciatica, rib pain or pelvic pain, is quite often seen as ‘part of the parcel’ in pregnancy. Due to hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, ligaments are getting softer which can put a strain on the joints of your lower back. The expanding uterus also moves your center of gravity and accentuates the arching of your back.

All this explains why as many as three quarter of women experience lower back pain at some stage in their pregnancy.

However, whilst this is a minor inconvenience for some women, for others it means a complete disruption to their life as they are struggling to walk, go up the stairs or have a much disrupted sleep.

NICE (The National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence) is already advising GPs to offer a course of 10 sessions of acupuncture as a first line treatment for persistent, non-specific low back pain.

 And research is now showing that acupuncture is also beneficial for back pain during pregnancy. A Brazilian study (2004) showed that ‘acupuncture seems to alleviate low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy, as well as to increase the capacity for some physical activities and to diminish the need for drugs, which is a great advantage during this period’.

6 Things you can do to relieve back pain:

1. Have some acupuncture. Pregnant women seem to be reacting even better to acupuncture and nearly women I have treated for lower back pain during pregnancy have reported some improvements right from the first treatment.
2. Take special care of your back. Don’t bend to pick up something. This includes being careful of any twisting movement, for example when helping a young child in and out of his car seat or avoiding carrying your 3 year old up the stairs
3. Wear flat shoes. That seems to go without saying but good shoes can make all the difference.
4. REST. A lot of women will find that their backache is getting worse as the day goes on, after a walk, doing too much or more than usual. Rest is crucial to recovery.
5. Keep warm. In winter in particular, be sure that whatever you are doing, your lower back stays covered and protected. Don't stand in wet swimming costume either.
6. Try a massage but be sure that the person has been specifically trained in massage during pregnancy.

For more information about Sabine Acupuncture, click here.

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Top 5 Acupuncture Myths

The Top 5 Acupuncture myths

Acupuncture has been used in China for thousands of years but it is still a recent addition to the way we try and heal ourselves. Recently we've heard about Andy Murray using acupuncture to help with pain and recovery before Wimbledon. And also about Claire Nasir as she was going through fertility issues.
But even if acupuncture is better known now than it was 10 or 15 years ago, there are still lots of myths surrounding acupuncture. Here is a top 5 of the most common myths about acupuncture.

Image CugaGallery via Flickr

1- Acupuncture needles hurt!

This is possibly the most wide spread misconception about acupuncture. That acupuncture hurts in the same way that it hurts when you have an immunization or you have your blood taken.
The reality is very different. I have talked about acupuncture needles and how thin they are before and the reality is that when needles are inserted, most people will not feel more than a little prick.
However, it would be wrong to say that people will not feel anything at all. Once the needle is in, the acupuncturist will adjust the needle gently. Some people will then feel like a heaviness, a dull feeling around the needle. Some report a 'ticklish feeling' and others a strange feeling that they can't quite describe.
Whatever the feeling, this is one of the signs that acupuncture is starting to have some effect on the body.

2- Acupuncture works only if you believe in it.

Another way to say that is that acupuncture is only placebo effect.
Well it is true that for any therapy, including using drugs such as ibuprofene, having a positive attitude will make a difference.
However, research has now shown that acupuncture is much more than that. We now know that acupuncture has some effects on hormones levels, it affects the brain in specific ways and alters blood flow. We also know that it can help for some specific conditions such as arthritis, nausea, headaches and migraines or back pain.

3- Acupuncture is not rooted in science

Well there are two parts in this question. First of all, now that we have some research available on acupuncture, we know a lot more about the effects of acupuncture on the body and we are starting to have a good  idea of how well acupuncture is doing for different type of conditions. Based on that, the WHO has actually listed some conditions that can be helped with acupuncture here.
But most of all, in the history of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, we know that Chinese doctors actually conducted very thorough and meticulous investigations on the body (including dissections etc...), on illnesses and on the effects of treatment on the patients.  Many stand up very well to our modern scrutiny despite the fact they have been written more than 1500 years ago.
A good example is the description, in the 6th century, of diabetes in terms not dissimilar to the ones we would now find in modern biomedical textbook. Around the same time, another doctor recommended the use of pig's pancreas to control the disease, which we still use nowadays.

4- Acupuncture is only good for treating pain.

Well yes acupuncture is good at treating pain. Back pain is probably what it is the best known for but also headaches and migraines, arthritis etc... 
However, acupuncture can do much more than that. It can be an excellent treatment for nausea, anxiety and depression, stress, fertility issues, support during IVF or cancer treatment, digestive problems, menopausal symptoms amongst others.
The reason is that acupuncture works on the whole body and aim to re-establish balance. You will find more about acupuncture as holistic therapy here.

5- The effects of acupuncture are only short lived

This is actually a worry for quite a few people. They are afraid that to sustain the effects, they will need to carry on getting weekly treatments for the rest of their lives.
The reality is that how long it will take to get the desired results vary greatly depending on the person and the condition. Most people will see some results within 5~6 treatments.
Whether you want to stop there because you reach your goal or whether you decide to continue using acupuncture as a preventive treatment (something that the Chinese doctors were strongly recommending) is then up to you.