“I struggled with 3-5 debilitating migraines a week… After… meeting Yuanling, I have 3-5 migraines a YEAR and my sleeping habits have improved immensely.”Casey, patient
One patient's experience. Results vary from person to person.
Acupuncture for Migraines and Headaches in Norwood, MA Care that looks for the pattern behind your headaches
Recurring headaches can take whole days away from you. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine look beyond the pain itself, to the pattern that keeps bringing it back.
Understanding headaches
Where your head hurts tells a story
In Chinese medicine, a headache is not only pain in the head. Different meridians travel through different parts of the head. So where your headache sits helps show which pathway is out of balance.
Pain across the forehead, at the temples, at the back of the head and neck, or at the top of the head can each point to a different pattern. Stress, poor sleep, certain foods, your menstrual cycle, and tension in the neck can all play a part.
When Qi backs up like water behind a dam, pressure builds and pain follows. When the river runs low, from exhaustion or a weak digestion, the head is not nourished and a dull ache sets in. Yuanling treats the pattern, not only the pain.
What we treat
Migraines, headaches, and tinnitus
Two people with migraines can have very different patterns behind them, so their treatment is different too.
Migraines
Recurring migraines, with or without aura, nausea, or sensitivity to light and sound. Treatment focuses on prevention between attacks, so they come less often and with less force.
Tension headaches
A band of pressure around the head, often with tight shoulders and neck. These are closely tied to stress, posture, and neck tension.
Tinnitus
Ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears. Chinese medicine looks at the meridians that pass around the ear, along with stress, sleep, and overall energy.
Headaches tied to your cycle
Headaches that arrive around your period or during perimenopause. Yuanling treats them as part of your overall hormonal balance.
When to see your doctor first
Acupuncture works alongside your medical care. It is not a replacement for it. Call 911 or go to an emergency room for a sudden, severe headache, the worst of your life, or a headache with fever and a stiff neck, confusion, weakness, vision loss, or after a head injury. See your doctor first for new headaches that are different from your usual ones, or sudden hearing loss in one ear.
How it helps
How acupuncture eases headaches
Calms the nervous system
Many headaches begin when the body is overloaded. Acupuncture can calm the nervous system, so the mind and body can relax and tension can let go.
Releases the pressure
Fine, sterile needles at points on the head, neck, hands, and feet help unblock the obstruction, so Qi and blood can flow freely to and from the head.
Treats the triggers
Sleep, stress, digestion, food sensitivities, environmental allergies and hormones can all set off headaches. Treating the whole pattern helps restore balance, so headaches have less to build on.
Related conditions
Often treated together
Because the whole body is connected, headaches rarely travel alone. These concerns often come in alongside them.
Stress, anxiety, and sleep
Stress and poor sleep are two of the most common headache triggers.
Stress, anxiety, and sleep →Back, neck, and sciatic pain
Neck and shoulder tension often travels upward into the head.
Back and neck pain →Fertility and women's health
Support for headaches that follow your cycle or arrive with perimenopause.
Fertility and women's health →Questions
Migraines and headaches FAQ
Have a question about your headaches?
Call us at (508) 202-8447.
Can acupuncture help migraines?
Acupuncture is one of the most studied natural approaches to migraine. A Cochrane review of clinical trials found that acupuncture can reduce how often migraines happen. Results vary from person to person. At your first visit, after assessment Yuanling will explain to you how the treatment will help you.
Should I come in during a migraine?
Most of the work happens between attacks, to help them come less often. If you are in the middle of a migraine and can travel safely, call us. Please do not drive if your vision is affected.
Can acupuncture help tinnitus?
Some patients find their tinnitus eases, especially when it is linked to stress, poor sleep, or neck tension. Results vary more than with headaches. If your tinnitus is new, in one ear only, or comes with hearing loss, please see your doctor first.
Should I keep taking my migraine medications?
Yes. Keep taking any medications as prescribed. Acupuncture works alongside your medical care. Any change to your medications should be made with your doctor.
How many treatments will I need?
It varies, depending on how long you have had headaches, how often they come, and how your body responds. For migraine prevention, treatment usually starts with weekly visits for several weeks. Yuanling will talk through a plan with you at your first visit.
Will insurance cover treatment for headaches?
Many plans cover acupuncture, and coverage can depend on the condition being treated. We are in-network with BlueCross BlueShield, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Aetna, and Harvard Pilgrim, and we verify your benefits before your visit. See pricing and insurance for details.
Find the pattern behind your headaches
At your first visit, Yuanling will listen, evaluate your pattern, and begin your first treatment. Then she will suggest a plan that fits you.