Tag Archive for: migraines

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How Many Treatments Will I Need for Acupuncture & Massage?

Has anyone ever told you they tried acupuncture once and it didn’t work?

Well, that’s because just one acupuncture treatment may make you feel better for a day or two, but as magical as acupuncture can be, a series of treatments is needed to achieve deep and lasting results.

How many treatments you’ll need depends on a few things, including what issue we’re treating, how long you’ve had it, your overall health, and how severe the issue is. Long-standing chronic issues, or very severe problems, will likely require a longer series of treatments, while something like a mild ankle sprain will respond well in just 2-3 treatments.  

Acupuncture and massage therapy are dose-dependent.

Cumulative treatments are usually needed, just like when you see a chiropractor or physical therapist. You’ll get some relief from your first treatment, but a series of treatments make lasting changes by retraining the nervous system and muscle memory, calming inflammation, improving circulation, strengthening the immune system, and regulating hormones.

In general with acupuncture, we recommend weekly treatment for the first 4-6 visits, then taper to every other week, then monthly if needed. You should feel better after each treatment, however, it takes multiple visits close together to create lasting change. Herbal medicine may also be recommended, and can greatly enhance and speed up treatment since it is taken daily.

Here are some examples of commonly treated problems that usually follow this treatment plan

(If your symptoms are especially severe, you may need more weekly treatment, or 2+ visits the first week or two for best results):

Migraines

Weekly acupuncture for 4-6 weeks, then every other week for 1-2 months, then as needed as migraines subside. Herbs may be prescribed. Craniosacral therapy and neck massage may also be recommended

Painful and/or irregular periods

Weekly acupuncture for 4 weeks, then every other week for two more months, as near as possible to ovulation and period. Herbs are highly recommended for best results. Visceral manipulation for painful periods may be recommended.

Long-Covid

Weekly acupuncture 4+ weeks then tapering as above. This depends entirely on the severity of symptoms and the systems affected. Mild symptoms may resolve in a month, severe symptoms can take months to clear. Herbal medicine is highly recommended in most cases.

Insomnia

Weekly 4-6 visits, then tapering as above. Herbal medicine is highly recommended.

Anxiety

Weekly 4-6 weeks, then tapering as above. Herbal medicine is very helpful and works daily. Those with chronic anxiety do best with monthly maintenance sessions once symptoms are managed. Craniosacral therapy may be recommended, as well.

For massage, you may just need a session or two to relieve your sore muscles or occasional massages for self-care.

Several weekly treatments are recommended for chronic conditions that are causing you ongoing problems. Problems like chronic neck or back pain, plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, or any other chronic musculoskeletal pain respond best to consistent work during the first few weeks, as your massage therapist releases tension and adhesions in the tissue and surrounding areas that may be contributing to your pain patterns.

Of course, many people get a regular monthly massage and/or acupuncture for health maintenance, too.

We highly recommend monthly maintenance sessions as a wonderful and feel-good part of your healthy lifestyle! Monthly maintenance sessions are a great way to manage stress, calm anxiety, improve circulation, manage chronic health issues, and keep your immune system strong.

We are also here if you need us for those flare-ups, new issues and to help manage stress and anxiety.

As always, let us know if you have questions about treatment, including what we can treat. We’re happy to help!

Book an appointment for acupuncture or massage, or a 15-minute free initial consult at https://acusimple.com/access/7870/#/appointments/1016/

Dr. Jennie Luther, DACM, L.Ac
Acupuncturist Centennial
Family Tree Acupuncture & Wellness
720.507.1705

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The 4 Best Therapies for Natural Migraine Relief

If you suffer from migraines, or any chronic headaches, you’ve probably tried a lot of things looking for lasting relief. You want to get control over how much these headaches impact your quality of life. You want natural migraine relief that treats your symptoms, AND the root of the problem.

Since migraines and other chronic headaches usually have a lot of different triggers, it can make treating them complicated.

The question is…

What are the best natural cures for migraines and chronic headaches?

These natural therapies have helped dramatically relieve symptoms for many people who suffer from migraines. From throbbing, stabbing headaches, neck pain, and visual disturbance to nausea, vomiting, light and sound sensitivity and generally knocking you out for the day, these tried and true techniques can make a huge difference in your quality of life.

1. Acupuncture

Acupuncture has a centuries’ old track record of helping correct imbalances in the body.  Its whole-body approach makes acupuncture super-effective at treating the complex causes of migraines and other chronic headaches.

This study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291665/ from the National Institute of Health shows…

“…high-quality trials involving 4419 participants…found that there is consistent evidence that acupuncture is beneficial in the treatment of acute migraine attacks and that…acupuncture is at least as effective as prophylactic drug treatment and has fewer adverse effects.”

Make sure you find a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac), and even better, find out if they are also certified by the NCCAOM to prescribe herbal medicine, which can speed up your results. If you’re worried about what acupuncture feels like, it’s not like the shots you get at your western doctor’s office. These needles are thin as hairs and usually you barely feel them.

2. Chinese Herbal Medicine

Where pharmaceutical drugs are aimed at treating symptoms, Chinese Herbal Medicine is specially formulated to alleviated symptoms AND the root imbalances, all at the same time.

Like Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine has been practiced and fine-tuned over centuries.  NCCAOM Certified herbalists receive hundreds of hours of training in the safe and effective use of these natural substances, and even better, the formulas are customized to fit each unique patient. Herbal teas are the traditional form of delivery, but many herbalists now use capsulized dried formulas to make it easier than ever to benefit from this ancient and effective medicine.

3. Craniosacral Therapy (CST)

In a nutshell, this super-gentle technique releases tension in the tissues around your brain, spinal cord, and your skull.  This helps improve circulation to your brain and spinal cord.  More important, it helps your nervous system calm down by helping it get out of Fight/Fight/Flight mode, and into Rest & Relax mode.

Craniosacral therapy also helps release tension from injuries, like whiplash or concussion, PTSD or chronic stress. If you have a history of these kinds of injuries or issues, or if you feel a lot of tightness and tension in your upper neck and base of your head with your headaches, CST can be especially helpful.

4. Myofascial Release (MFR) and Trigger Point (TP) release for your neck and spine

Myofascial Release is a type of bodywork that releases your fascia—-the super-strong connective-tissue covering all your muscles, tendons , nerves and organs. Fascia is really strong, and when it gets tight it can put intense pressure on surrounding areas, affecting the muscles, circulation, nerves. Releasing the fascia of your neck, shoulders and head can work wonders for chronic pain and headaches.

Trigger Points are those sore knots in your muscles that send pain to another area when you press on it.  A common one is the trigger point in your upper shoulder that shoots pain up the side of your neck and head. Trigger Point therapy uses direct pressure to release tension, freeing up the muscle, reducing pain, and stopping that referred pain that can be causing part of your headache.

Do you suffer from migraines or chronic headaches?

Request your free 15 minute consultation to learn more about how we’ve been helping our patients find lasting natural migraine relief. Our years of experience and combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, craniosacral therapy and manual techniques are a potent combination that address the many complicated causes of chronic migraines and other headaches.

“Jennie is the best hands down. She has done more for my migraines in two treatments than my neurologist had done in 10 years.”
-Greg D.

Jennie Luther, L.Ac, RMT
Acupuncturist Centennial
Family Tree Acupuncture & Wellness
720.507.1705
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The Magic Touch: Combining Acupuncture and Bodywork for Deep, Lasting Results

I often get asked what exactly it is that I do in my treatment sessions. Most people say it’s unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before. It’s relaxing and calming, occasionally intense, and it gets results. Deep, lasting, sometimes profound results.

I’m an acupuncturist and herbalist, and I am also a bodyworker.

I started out as a massage therapist (about 20 years ago). Every time I started to get competent at what I had been learning, I realized there was another layer. This led me to study Craniosacral Therapy, Myofascial Release, Structural Integration techniques, Reiki, Visceral and Neural Manipulation. And still, there were more layers. Things I couldn’t reach with bodywork alone.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which encompasses acupuncture, herbal medicine, and several other modalities like cupping, was the healing tradition that filled in the holes. TCM strengthens the body quickly and efficiently, while removing blockages. Now, I combine both worlds in my treatments.

These days, I don’t do much “massage,” in the sense of what you’d expect at a spa. The bodywork I do is very specific and focused on specific structures, even organs and the nervous system. At the Barral Institute, where I study Visceral and Neural Manipulation, they say that the more specific you can get with your work, the less you need. With these modalities, I can get that specificity on a structural level, and at the same time with acupuncture and herbal medicine, I can hone in on the body’s other imbalances.

The combination is powerful.

Depending on what brings you in, along with your history, I’ll let you know what the best combination will be for you after we’ve done our initial intake. For some patients, acupuncture and herbs are the best route. For others, adding bodywork will make a profound difference. You can also let me know your preference.

Some good examples of when a combination of acupuncture and bodywork are the most powerful are when there have been injuries or surgeries, even years past, or when a patient comes in with chronic headaches.

In one case, a patient came in with chronic low back and sciatic pain, along with fatigue and irritability. She has 2 small kids, and had a C-section a few years ago. The pain started a few months later. She was depleted from pregnancy and motherhood, which we treated with acupuncture and herbal medicine. The low back and sciatic pain, however, was directly related to scar tissue from the C-Section. We used a combination of Visceral and Neural Manipulation, along with myofascial release, to correct the structural imbalance. After about 10 treatments, she was pain-free and felt like herself again.

In another case, a patient came in with chronic, debilitating migraines for over 20 years. Nothing had helped, and he had nearly given up. We used acupuncture and herbs to treat the underlying excess stress issues which made hime prone to headaches. Craniosacral therapy and Neural Manipulation released restrictions in his head and neck caused by a major accident years before. His headaches reduced by 80 in 5 visits.

Every case and person is unique, as is their treatment. By combining acupuncture, herbal medicine, and these advanced bodywork techniques, we can address many aspects at once. We delve into the root of the issue and help you feel better, fast.

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