Acupunture

Hi all

Again I am bemused at the lack of understanding for this awful condition. The last Neurologist I seen said to me that as I get older my brain will shrink and therefore my tonsils will ease back into their correct position!!

Anyway, what I was wanting to know is if anyone has tried acupuncture for constant pressure headache at back of skull and / or for dizziness??

Many thanks

Helen

Helen! That is both frightening and hilarious at the same time! Wouldn’t that be wonderful for all of us if that were true!? I don’t have any remedies but I’m in the same boat and am interested to hear what others say!

I’m currently undergoing acupuncture treatment. It is working for me. My physiotherapist said that it usually takes 4 sessions before you will feel/see results and to know if it will work for you. He said it works for some and not others. A 10% improvement is enough to continue with treatment.

Right now, I get about a day of relief of the sharp stabby headache pains. It will take my pain from a 10 to a 6 and I’ll get relief for the rest of the day. It’s slowly getting better too.

I usually get 12 needles… he has not put any at the base of my skull yet, he said he can if it’s needed or if the existing 12 needles stop being effective he will add these other ones.

It’s not for everyone, especially if you hate needles. It doesn’t hurt much, just when the needles are being put in, and it’s like a split second of pain. Other than the initial pain, you don’t feel anything… you just sit doing nothing until they come to take the needles out. You can move a bit if you need to move but it’s best if you sit still. (I experimented a bit with movement to see if it made the effectiveness better or worse, for me moving around a bit shortens the relief period)

If you are thinking of getting acupuncture make sure the person administering the treatment have done their research on Chiari and acupuncture… also make sure they explain to you the treatment and it’s benefits if it works for you.

Hello

Would not want to knock other people's experiences with acupuncture but research does not support acupuncture as a valid form of treatment. With that harsh statement, keep in mind that placebo effect and having someone touch and care for you can be helpful for short term pain relief. I guess it depends on how much money and time you have!

In regards to dizziness, primitive reflexes exercises work great (tonic labyrinthine and Moro to name two).

In regards to headaches, they are so varied in their source, I would be hesitant to say. Physio to re-engage the stabilizing trapezius, cervical and shoulder motor control, movement avoidance when pre-surgery?

Anybody taking a medication to help with ischemic pain from the occipital dura (is an innervated structure in the brain and supplied by the vertebral artery)? Just wondering.

Good luck to you in finding relief

I was told that acupuncture stimulates nerves and their receptors because sometimes pain in general, not just headaches, are caused by overactive nerve receptors. So the acupuncture needles are used to active the nerve and the receptor.

acupuncture worked for me in the past with some stomach problems. I understand the placebo effect that comes with things like Acupuncture but it did help me with other stuff in the past.

I have not done it in years and i have no idea if it would help with chiari but I would be curious to see what they would say about it

Hi there, it might be too late to respond to your message, I take no drugs at all now, as they do not work, I take magnesium tablet, magnesium oil to spray on my neck, spine and also regular accupunture to relieve my pain y neurologist also recommended me to do so. (without side effect)