In today’s fast-paced, high-stress world, migraine headaches are becoming more common. It’s no surprise that migraines are becoming more common in today’s fast-paced world. Migraines can be described as severe headaches that occur on one side or the whole of the head. Sometimes, these headaches can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or changes in vision. They typically affect one side of the head, and can become more severe if they are exposed to light. Migraine pain can range from mild to severe.

Migraine Pain

Sometimes migraine pain can be so severe that a person is unable to move and cannot even lie down. About 4 to 1 more women suffer from migraine headaches that men than women. Many migraine sufferers report that migraines disappear in pregnancy for some women. Migraine headaches can be one-sided, pulsating, and last between 4 and 72 hours. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, hypersensitivity to light and noise (hyperacusis), and photophobia (photophobia).

About a third of migraine sufferers experience an aura before they get their migraine. This is when the patient may feel a strange light or smell. The aura phase can also include vertigo, auditory or smelly hallucinations and temporary dysphasia. The Egyptians, who described migraine headaches as a “headache and neuralgia” in 1200 BC, first documented migraine headaches.

Visual Aura

Hippocrates, 400 BC, described the visual aura that can precede migraine headaches and the relief that can be obtained by vomiting. Because Aretaeus, Cappadocia was the first to describe the symptoms of a unilateral headache that is associated with vomiting in the second century, he is often credited with being the “discoverer of migraines”. There have been many theories and explanations for migraine throughout the millennia.

The pain was treated with everything from the reasonable to the absurd. Andalusian-born physician Abulcasis suggested applying a hot iron to the forehead or inserting garlic into a temple incision. Migraine was first recognized in the Medieval Ages as a distinct medical disorder. Treatment options included hot irons, blood letting, and witchcraft. Even today, it is not known what causes migraines in western medicine. Most people believe it to be a disorder in the serotonergic system. Recent PET scans showed that the aura can be linked to cortical depression following an episode of significantly increased blood flow (upto 300% more than normal).

Triggers

There are many triggers for migraines. These include stress of any kind, whether it be physical or emotional, environmental factors, allergies, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal fluctuations, birth control pills and hormone fluctuations during menopause. Foods containing tyramine (red wines, aged cheeses, chicken livers and figs), monosodium glutamate or nitrates (like bacon and hot dogs) are all possible causes.

Salt can also cause migraines in some people. Eliminating salt from your diet may help. Avoiding milk and ice cream may be beneficial for lactose-intolerant people. Tryptophan is an amino acid found in protein-rich food and is converted into serotonin. This substance can worsen migraines. Low-protein diets have been tried with some success to reduce migraine attacks. Although western medicine still struggles with understanding the true nature and causes of disease in the body, Chinese medicine has many simple and effective treatments for migraines.

TCM

Your chi, or bio-energy, is responsible for everything in your body according to Chinese medicine. This idea has been dismissed by Western medicine, which is too simplistic and prefers the complex over the simple. This is a dangerous mindset. You can become blind to the truth if you are always searching for complex answers. This is true even if you only look for simple answers. These are the characteristics of “ascending chi” that rises up to the top.

Remember that PET scans recently showed that the aura can be associated with cortical depression following an episode of significantly increased blood flow (upto 300% more than normal). According to Chinese medicine, “chi is the commander and blood is the mother of blood.” This means that the blood will follow chi wherever it goes.

Many experiments have shown that blood flow to the feet increases when a person thinks about his feet. The blood flow to their heads also increases when they think about the feet. This ascending fire-chi is what causes migraines and other associated illnesses of excess fire energy. Many migraine sufferers have reported nausea, vomiting, and vertigo over the years. This is in perfect agreement with the ancient Chinese medical theory of “ascending chi”. The blood follows the chi as it rises above the head. This is often due to the swelling of blood vessels in brains caused by increased blood flow.

Ascending Chi

What is causing this “ascending chi” to rise to the top? These are the main chi characteristics of the body. Symptoms and disease will manifest in the body if any of these “chi symptoms” is present. Energy can be in disarray for weeks, months, or even years before symptoms manifest. When performed by a master healer, Chinese pulse diagnosis can detect energy deficiencies and imbalances up to a decade in advance. This is another thing that is often ridiculed in western medical circles.

Food chemicals such as MSG and high fructose corn syrup can cause excess fire chi in the body. The kidneys, which control the water functions of the body, are not strong enough or compromised in any way. This excess fire chi can then rise to the top uncontrollably. The blood will follow the chi, causing migraine symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, pain, and sometimes aura. This aura is a result of excessive fire chi rising up to the head. This aura can last up to an hour before a migraine attack.

The most common neurological event is visual aura. A disturbance in vision is usually characterized by unformed flashes (white/or black) or multicolored lights (photopsia), or formations of dazzling, zigzag lines. This aura phase can also cause auditory and olfactory hallucinations. These are symptoms of the ascending chi, which is a high-frequency occurrence in migraine sufferers.

Chinese Meditation

These same symptoms are common in advanced Chinese meditation. They often occur when someone is close to achieving what’s known as a “Major breakthrough” in their meditative practice. These symptoms should not be considered alarming, but a sign of celebration. These symptoms are an indication that the practitioner has successfully led huge amounts of chi into the brain. This energizes the brain to a much higher level, which is a major factor for enlightenment and increased mental power, wisdom, and longevity.

A person who reaches this level has no pain or discomfort, but they experience great joy, peace, happiness, and significantly increased physical endurance, immunity, and longevity. These triggers can cause a decrease in kidney function and an increase in body fire chi. The heart is the fire organ in the body. Even though western medicine recognizes that the kidneys are often involved in the treatment of severe heart conditions, they don’t understand the mechanism. They also reject the Chinese explanations of chi. Any illness that causes severe symptoms will always have a part or all of its root cause in the kidneys. Your kidneys are the main organ that controls your overall life force, sexual health, and longevity.

Kidney Health

Chinese medicine emphasizes the importance of strengthening the kidneys. This is important for both prevention and treatment. There are several ways to reduce the intensity, frequency, or total elimination of migraine headaches.

• Avoid foods that can cause fire. Foods like red meat, pork and processed foods, as well as alcohol, sugars, sodium and refined sugars, should be drastically reduced or eliminated from your diet. These foods are common in the west and it’s not surprising that most of the diseases we see in the west are caused by excess fire energy or energy deficiency. The life energy of processed foods is almost zero.
• Eat cooling (yin), foods from nature, such as vegetables, fruits and wild fish, as well as whole grains breads. Make sure to read labels to ensure that no chemicals are in the food.
• Meditation can be done for 20-30 minutes each day to calm the mind, cool down the body’s fire energies, and strengthen the kidneys.
• Deep abdominal breathing is a method used in Chinese medicine and martial art to not only cool the fire during training or battle but also to increase endurance, health, and longevity. Breathing is the fastest and most efficient way to cool down the fire. Breathing for 3-5 seconds each time you take a deep breath can help keep the body’s fire energies under control.
• Ginger, Feverfew, and Ginkgo Biloba are good herbs to take. One case report suggests that you can use 4-6 grams of powdered ginger daily to treat migraines and nausea. Ginger can also be taken in a tincture of 1.5-3ml three times a day. Ginkgo biloba extract may be helpful because it lowers the formation platelet-activating factors, which can contribute to migraines. Ginger is a warming herb but it also helps to increase the water energies in the kidneys. The kidneys have increased water energies, which cools the body’s fire. This is a classic example illustrating the “mother-son” law of Chinese medicine at its best. Ginger is also great for dizziness that often comes with migraine headaches.
• Acupuncture and acupressure points can be used to balance chi flow. Acupressure points such the connecting valleys, which is located between the thumbs and forefinger on both hands, have been proven to be effective in relieving migraine headaches and mild to moderate headaches. For 30-60 seconds, press on the point with moderate pressure. You can also find points at the base the skull where the bone enters the soft tissue of the neck. These points are extremely effective in relieving migraine attacks and have been shown to be able to treat some chronic cases of migraines with one application. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact location of these points, a general massage of the lower skull where the thick chords of neck disappear into the skull and looking down at ground can often be as effective as acupressure in relieving headache pain in many cases.
• Drink more water. Chronic dehydration is another cause of headaches. Drinking water does not include coffee, soda, and many teas. Water, which is pure, eases the strain on the kidneys and increases their control over the fire energies. Water can purify the bloodstream and flush out toxins, and help to keep the blood thinner and more fluid throughout the body. This reduces the strain on the heart, which is the fire organ of our bodies.
• You should also make sure to clean up your diet by eating as many natural, raw, or at most lightly cooked foods as possible. This will help you to reduce stress, avoid chemical triggers, and get a good night’s sleep.
• Tai Chi and “The Eight Pieces of Brocade” are slow motion exercises that can increase the energy and calm down all the body’s organs. This is especially true for the mind, and can greatly reduce or eliminate migraine headaches.