We treat many patients each week for migraine relief. Acupuncture is effective for opening blocked channels that cause migraines. As part of our migraine treatment we also teach our patients to breathe properly. Breathe deep migraine relief is a simple technique to bring more oxygen to the brain and relax the muscles of the face, neck and shoulders.
Breathe Deep Migraine Relief
Research shows that increased oxygen to the brain relieves migraines. Scientists are not clear about why this is, but the results speak for themselves. In fact, people who suffer from cluster headaches often use pure oxygen therapy to ease the pain. For migraine and tension headaches, deepening your breath may bring relief.
Most of the time we breathe shallowly. And as our stress levels increase, our breath gets even more shallow. To combat this, we need to train our bodies to breathe deeply. Give it a try right now. Take a deep breath and as you do so, draw the breath into your lower abdomen, below your belly button. Breathe in until you cannot breathe any more. Then slowly let out the breath. When you do so, make sure to get all the air out of your lungs by contracting your belly in towards your spine.
The benefit of breathe deep migraine relief is that you take more oxygen into your lungs and you push more carbon dioxide out of them. When we take shallow breaths new oxygen can’t get in because the carbon dioxide is taking up all the space. Doing this breathing exercise for a few minutes throughout the day will help train your body to breathe more deeply, providing oxygen to your brain and head. After a few weeks you may see your migraines easing.
Biofeedback and Relaxation Training
The American Migraine Foundation has a nice webpage discussing techniques for relaxing the muscles in your face, neck and body. You can find their information HERE.
Biofeedback is a technique for helping you get in touch with the different muscles in your body so you can learn to relax them. Let’s give it a try. Focus on the top of your shoulders – the place where it feels good when someone rubs them. We tend to hold a great deal of stress there. As you breathe, try to feel these muscles relaxing. Roll your head in a circle, take another breath, and feel the tension drain out of these muscles. As you do, you may feel your arms sink down slightly. That’s good.
Now try relaxing your jaw. We hold tension there as well. Take a breath and release the tension from your jaw, on the left and on the right. Feel your teeth and tongue relax as you do this. Biofeedback is a way for you to get assistance in learning how to relax these muscles. But you can practice on your own as well. Some techniques have you focus on every part of your body, from head to toe, to relax. For headaches, you can focus on your head, neck, jaw and shoulders.
Combining Breathing and Relaxation
When you practice breathe deep migraine relief, also practice relaxing your muscles. Try doing it five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the afternoon or evening. Then, during the day, when you’re waiting at a red light, take a deep breath or two. When you are using the restroom, take a few deep breaths. Next thing you know, you will be breathing deeper all day long.
There is no guarantee that deep breathing and muscle relaxation will help your migraine headaches. But you have nothing to lose. Your stress levels will certainly be reduced. And you may be able to reduce the intensity and frequency of your migraines.
Next Steps
If you are curious about breathe deep migraine relief and want more information about acupuncture, feel free to give us a call at 919-815-8115. We’ll be happy to discuss migraine treatment options with you.
LEARN ABOUT OUR MIGRAINE ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT.
WATCH VIDEO ABOUT OUR MIGRAINE TREATMENT.
Click BOOK NOW to schedule an acupuncture appointment online.
Breathe deep migraine relief is easy. You have nothing to lose. Just take a little time and start deep breathing, five breaths at a time, during the day. Feed your brain a little more oxygen and see what happens. If nothing else, you will feed some brain cells and get smarter!
What our Clients are Saying
I saw Dr. Jade to treat my migraine headaches. I was a skeptic about acupuncture. But now, I’m a true believer in the treatment. Dr. Jade worked miracles in relieving my migraines!! She’s worth her weight in gold!! Thank you Dr. Jade!
Raleigh Acupuncture was recommended by a friend after I mentioned my insomnia and dependency on a sleeping pill. My apprehension was short lived because of the results of my visits to Dr. Mark. With acupuncture treatments and Chinese herbs I was able to begin sleeping well and continue to do so. Dr. Mark is a good listener and encourages his patients in all health issues as well as the original purpose for treatment. Consequently, my knees are stronger and I’m walking better and with more confidence. I haven’t had the need for a cortisone shot in a year and a half. Occasionally, I would use a cane and it’s now somewhere gathering dust. Also, I had a persistent headache that my primary physician had no solution for, and after two acupuncture treatments it’s a thing of the past. Hot flashes were another issue that was treated successfully. I am so grateful to have found a knowledgeable and caring person to treat my ailments, many of which I thought would only grow worse as I aged. Generally, I feel healthier.
I suffered a serious concussion last year riding my mountain bike. After the accident I was getting severe headaches every day. They were so bad I couldn’t drive. I found Raleigh Acupuncture online. I liked their website and they said they treated post-concussion headaches. They got rid of the headaches and helped me with a number of other post-concussion issues like blurred vision, anxiety and insomnia. They really understood what was going on with me. I’m very grateful.
I’ve gotten migraine headaches for the past thirty years. They started as a teenager and have come once or twice a week since then. Pain medication used to work for the first ten or fifteen years, but since then nothing seemed to help. I mentioned to my doctor that I wanted to try Acupuncture and he recommended Raleigh Acupuncture. That was the best decision I’ve ever made. They not only cured my migraines, but got rid of a chronic neck pain at the same time. They gave me Chinese herbs as well, which I took for the eight weeks that I received acupuncture. They were highly professional, easy to talk to, and very informative. They explained everything they were doing and how it was working. Once the headaches stopped, I didn’t have to continue the herbs. It’s been two years and they have not returned. I go back for maintenance once a month. I’ll happily do that forever, not having to deal with migraines any more. I recommend this practice to anyone suffering from migraines.
My 14 year old daughter started getting migraines when her period started last year. They were aweful. A friend of mine suggested we try acupuncture. She went to Raleigh Acupuncture, so we made an appointment. The doctors there were so kind to my daughter. They made her feel safe and comfortable during the treatments. They cured her migraines in just eight treatments! She does not get them anymore. And her periods are so much easier than before. Thank you Raleigh Acupuncture! We are very grateful to you!