Has anybody found that Acupuncture makes their migraines worse ?
I have had four Acupuncture sessions ( in the UK ) for Cervical Spondylotic Disease which can trigger migraines and was told that the positioning of the treatment would probably also help with migraines.
I have had continuous postdrome type symptoms for the past month and have just realised that it is probably the same time as my Acupuncture treatment so before I jump on the Acupuncture " reason rather than co-incidence " I thought I would ask if anyone else had found that Acupuncture gave them similar issues.
MigraineSal,
I tried acupuncture years ago, before they became chronic. I felt like it help much after 9 months of treatment. Several times Migraines started while I was actually on the table or shortly thereafter.I am open to trying it again with another practioner. Many people swear by it. But maybe it's just not going to work for either of us! Definitely talk to your acupuncturist before stopping treatments.
-Katie
Migraine.com ModeratorThank you very much for your very helpful reply Katie . . . I have spoken to my GP and to the Clinical Specialist Manager of the Centre that provided the treatment and I am now having clotting blood tests on Friday after I had blood flowing when one of the needles was removed last week.
The CSM is going to call me again once I have my results and approval to continue treatment from my GP to discuss her taking over my treatment and the possibility of using finer needles / different Acupuncture points. I received a reply to an enquiry I made to the British Acupuncture Council after my last treatment session after I had spoken the to CSM and they gave a completely different view on the clinical procedures to the Centre that provided the service. The BAcC said that blood loss after the removal of a needle is not common and they replied 'no', definitely not when I asked if it was appropriate to use the paper table cover I had laid on to mop any drawn blood when the needles were removed. These responses were in complete contrast to the responses I got from the Centre where I had the treatment so I need to think very carefully before I continue with treatment there !
Oh wow! I never had bleeding like that after the needles were removed and I have a blood clotting disorder! So glad you did all that research. Clearly if you are still willing, you should try a different center!
-Katie
Yup. Acupuncture can make it worse, although only a little. It can't turn a mild case into a big case, but it can trigger a migraine. I've had it happen myself, with an acupuncturist I really trust. It was just the wrong kind of treatment. I let him know and the next time he did a different kind of treatment on me. Totally worked.
This is more likely to happen if your practitioner uses a lot of needles (more than 15) or uses electro-acupuncture. The good news is that most practitioners know more than one way to do acupuncture, so if you are not responding well, be honest about it and your practitioner might have something different to try.
