Those who get migraines know just how debilitating they can be. Unfortunately, millions of people continue to suffer from the throbbing, pounding pain in their heads. Episodes are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, chills, and sensitivity to light or sound.
The dread of feeling a migraine coming on can be enough to derail someone's entire day. And sometimes, it can feel like nothing helps. However, one acupuncturist recently shared a simple pressure point tip migraine sufferers can try — and it has helped her patients significantly.
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Qianlei Li, a licensed acupuncturist, shared a tip for when you feel a migraine coming.
Qianlei Li is a board-certified traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and Licensed Acupuncturist. She also owns Nature's Gift Acupuncture in Alexandria, Virginia. Recently, Li took to Instagram to share a pressure-point tip to help head off a migraine.
Apparently, there's a pressure point in the finger that can help combat migraines.
"This point can take your migraine from a 9 to a 5!" Li explained in the caption of her Instagram video. The clip showed her massaging her ring finger at a specific point on the same side of the migraine pain. "Press and massage HARD 3 to 5 min until the migraine fades," text in the video instructed.
She also explained why it works.
In the caption, Li offered further insight into how the pressure point helps alleviate migraine pain.
"Migraine in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are related to blockage in certain meridian. This point is on the same meridian that travels along onto your head," she detailed. "Massaging this point brings blood flow and healing energy into the migraine area."
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Li also shared the story of a patient who suffered from migraines every day.
"I recently helped a patient who had migraines every day. When it was bad, it could be so painful as 8/10 pain scale," Li explained in the Instagram update's caption. "Her life became really out of control, because she couldn’t do anything if her migraines got bad."
With the help of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, however, the patient found significant relief.
"We used acupuncture to release her muscle tension, improved blood flow, and generated brain chemicals linked to migraine relief," Li explained. "We used Chinese herbal medicine to reduce inflammation, calm the nervous system, and rebalance the body’s internal energy."
Gradually, the patient's migraines became less frequent and less intense, to the point that when they did happen, "it felt more like pressure and didn’t bother her as much."
*Disclaimer: The advice on LittleThings.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
