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Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs for Headache relief

In our Pure Zen Wellness practice, headache cases are a primary complaint about more than 30 percent of our patients.

Headaches, combined with stress factors, female (or male) hormonal imbalances, side effects of post-traumatic experiences like auto accidents or social-emotional trauma can be quite debilitating in nature. As we know, this can affect the day to day activities severely. Headaches may also be related to different sensitivities such as perfume, pollen, dust as well as gluten.

At Pure Zen Wellness, we strive to find the REAL cause of the symptom.

Headaches may be just the tip of the iceberg. The immediate relief of headache pain can be done with Distal Needling Acupuncture. This practice is frequently performed for the pain management of headaches in our clinic.

Below, I have listed some recommendations for my patients with reoccurring headaches:

  1. Drink adequate amount of alkaline water to hydrate your cells throughout the day – your brain is made up of about 75 percent water! Before bed, place a glass of water by your bedside, so that you remember to hydrate yourself first thing in the morning.
  1. A sedentary lifestyle may contribute to the recurrence of headaches – try to incorporate more time for exercise in your week. If you have a dog, try taking it out for a walk as many times as possible throughout the day. Even a short brisk walk around the house after dinner can help with the oxygenation of brain cells.
  1. Consume more foods that are rich in nitric oxide. According to Pubmed, nitric oxide helps regulate cerebral and extracerebral cranial blood flow. Types of foods that have a sufficient amount of nitric oxide include watermelon, dark cocoa (preferably raw), pomegranates, walnuts, spinach, kale, whole oranges, beets (also helps for constipation issues), beef liver (excellent hormone balancer), shrimp and wild-caught salmon.
  1. Regular bowel movements are crucial especially for patients who suffer frequent headaches. In Chinese Medicine, the Large Intestine (colon channel) is often envisioned as a boat that sails across the river. If there is no water in the river, the boat will not be able to sail across the dried out river. Reduce constipation by incorporating more vegetables that contain a high amount of fiber. Among foods that induce bowel movement to include beets and kiwis. Invest into a Squatty Potty to help relax the muscles surrounding the rectum.
  1. Meditate daily, even for 1-2 minutes in the morning or before you go to bed – we will post a blog soon on this topic exclusively.
  1. If you have access to Chinese Herbal Pharmacy – use headache relief formula.

You can use it only as needed or it can also be used as a preventative tool. We had excellent results with this formula. If you need a cheaper version of our granulated formula, go to DXD  Chinese Herbal Market in San Diego on Ulric street and here are the ingredients:

  • Fang Feng 10g
  • Bo He 10g
  • Hong Hua 10g
  • Bai Zhi 9 g
  • Dan Shen 9 g
  • Gou Teng 9 g
  • Man Jing Zi 9 g
  • Chai Hu 8 g
  • Huang Qin 8 g
  • Chi Shao 8 g

Do not use this formula if you are pregnant.

  1. Take a contrast shower – alternate hot and cold water multiple times and finish with a comfortable water temperature – dilating and constricting blood vessels in the body often helps with relieving headaches, especially on the prodrome mode.
  1. Remove soy, dairy, corn, gluten products from your diet. Eat 3 times a day and do not skip meals.
  1. Reduce your levels of stress by the adaptation technique – according to Dr. Hans Selye (founder of term “stress’ in the 70’s):

“Adopting the right attitude can convert the negative stress into a positive oneâ€.

  1. Find yourself an Oriental Medicine practitioner you can trust.

 

Yours in Health,

Dr. Anna Krasheninnikova.

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+1 (760) 710-0234
317 North El Camino Real, Suite 104, Encinitas, CA 92024