With naturopathy for headaches and migraines

With Chinese medicine (TCM) for headache and migraine

27.04.2011

Throbbing, hammering, pulsation accompanied by nausea, vomiting or photosensitivity: In Germany around thirteen million people suffer from migraine or recurring, tormenting headaches. Many patients slip into the role of the doctor in headaches and treat themselves with painkillers. However, long-term successes often remain. Here, the sustainable treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a promising alternative. A recent study by the TCM Clinic at Steigerwald underlines this clearly: At discharge described about 70 percent of migraine sufferers an improvement in their complaints, after two years, there were even 76 percent.

Food often causes migraine attacks
„Since headaches have many causes, comprehensive diagnostics are the focus of Chinese medicine“, explains Dr. Christian Schmincke, TCM expert and head of the clinic at the Steigerwald. „From the point of view of Chinese medicine, the abdomen is causally related to headache. Every day, millions of pieces of information about a large bundle of nerves go from the stomach to the head.“ No wonder that certain foods often cause migraine attacks. To enable Chinese medicine experts to resolve blockages between the head and the abdomen, the focus is on a comprehensive patient history interview and the use of Chinese diagnostics in the form of pulse and tongue diagnostics. These help to recognize triggering factors and small body signals. For example, so-called cold disorders are causes of common childhood diseases, which later lead to headaches, treated Chinese medicine in the course of therapy with heat.

Most important goal: discontinuation of strong analgesics
Since many sufferers already take painkillers for years, stopping the medication is an important goal. „To cure a disease, it does not help if symptoms are suppressed“, says Dr. Schmincke. „Rather, the symptoms lead the therapist to the roots of the disease. The goal is the freedom from complaints without medication.“ In therapy, TCM experts rely on Chinese drug therapy. Every day, patients take herbs, tubers and roots in the form of cooked decoctions, which the physicians create individually for each patient and adjust the recipes daily. In migraine and headache patients, these often involve bamboo in the beginning to release long-term blockages between the abdomen and the head. Other important pillars include acupuncture and moxibustion. They help especially with attacks of pain, which often occur during the withdrawal phase of migraine-related drugs. Qi Gong, a system of gentle, slow movement exercises, has a calming and invigorating effect on headache patients and thus also contributes to successful therapy. Healthy nutrition and tension-relieving Tuina massages complete the concept. (Pm)

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