If you have ever been the unfortunate victim of a migraine, you can probably relate to the feeling of urgency to do something, anything, to ease the pain. Perhaps you have spent some time scrolling through Google or speaking to friends who suffer from the condition too and happened upon daith piercing for migraines.
In this article we will look at what they are, and investigate the possibility of them being an alternative method for treating the symptoms of the condition that affects more than 1 billion people globally.
Why We Get Migraines
Many people are prone to suffering from migraines. They are neurological conditions that often occur side by side with symptoms such as nausea, light sensitivity, and throwing up.
Attacks can be extremely debilitating and result in hours of disability for the people who experience them. This can have an effect on the sufferer’s mental and physical health, not to mention their ability to generate an income.
There are many types of migraines including, complex, vestibular, familial hemiplegic, ocular, etc. – all of which you can learn more about in the link provided.
What these migraines do have in common is, even now, the doctors haven’t been able to pinpoint what it is in our brains that goes on to result in such an overwhelming condition. Even worse for sufferers is the fact that there is no set cure to bring them relief. Different treatments have different levels of effectiveness depending on the person.
The reason people get migraines is heavily changeable from one person to the next. Be it stress, confused sleep schedules, hormones, diet, or caffeine, numerous common triggers have been found.
Health care professionals recommend that you keep track of your triggers to assess what changes you can make in your lifestyle to reduce these. This could be through recording information on an app, or diary. Having this information means that your doctor can look through it to pinpoint anything that may help you.
Daith Piercing For Migraines
When traditional medical migraine treatments fail to provide the relief a person is looking for, they sometimes turn to complementary alternatives. Getting a daith piercing for migraines, is one such alternative that has emerged in more recent times.
Daith piercings are piercings of the ear’s inner cartilage fold just by the opening of the ear canal. Stemming from acupuncture, a form of therapy that makes use of needles to reach pressure points, the piercing is thought to play a similar role in reducing the symptoms and occurrence of migraines.
The way it works is through the use of needling. Needling involves the insertion of needles near and far from the pain occurrence points. This is thought to then target the nervous system and get to the source of the pain.
Some acupuncturists claim there is a pressure point on the same spot of the ear where the daith piercing for migraines is made that corresponds with the digestive system. They say that the piercing provides constant compression to the spot in the same way that acupuncture does, which many have reported relieves the pain.
People most likely to try this as a treatment method are people who have found acupuncture to be effective. However, they want a more permanent solution where the effects will not wear off.
To Pierce or Not to Pierce
There is a divide in opinion regarding the effectiveness of daith piercing for migraines. As there is little to no scientific information to back any claims, there are a number of doubtful doctors on one side and a community of believers on the other. Quite simply, there is no clear-cut answer on what to believe.
While many have found it to be a temporary source of relief, by contrast, others have found the daith piercing for migraines to be ineffective. At the moment, there is a relatively limited amount of research to verify the positions.
Equally important to consider is the argument of the placebo effect. This occurs when patients feel better or show the physical response of recovery following the consumption of an ineffectual remedy.
In spite of the positive effects found in a number of patients following a piercing of their cartilage, some doctors dispute the daith piercing for migraines as merely a result of the placebo effect. Currently, a doctor at the London Migraine Clinic is seeking to debunk this though. He appears to believe in the viability of this method, and is leading medical research on the matter.
Should you be on the verge of deciding whether to get a piercing or not, one comforting fact to bear in mind is that piercings are not a permanent decision. If it is not for you, just take it out. As with most piercings, it should close up quite quickly once the jewelry is removed, although the healing may take a little longer.
More importantly though, should you go this route, it is vital that you use a professional to do the procedure. They will need to know exactly where to locate the pressure points that acupuncturists target for migraine relief.
Upsides of Daith Piercings
Several testimonials have emerged in favor of the daith piercing for migraines. Positive feedback in online discussion forums has included dulled-pain during attacks, reduced frequency of attacks, and in one case, complete disappearance of the respondent’s migraines. Some people have even lamented over not having tried it years before.
A possible upside of the piercing route are the potential cost savings you might experience should you find it helps you. As an alternative, once off potential treatment solution, this usually ends up costing less than paying for traditional, medically based treatments.
Downsides of Daith Piercings
The decision to get a daith piercing for migraines is not done completely without risk. People with daith piercings may incur certain complications such as:
- Keloids or scarring
- Feelings of discomfort and pain
- Possible allergic responses to the jewelry
- Slight bruising
- Risk of infections and bleeding
- Swelling around the piercing
- Heightened migraine symptoms
Admittedly, reading through this list, we would understand if you are put off. However, it is important to bear in mind that these downsides vary between people and is case by case dependent.
Getting a daith piercing for migraines is one way to do things. If however, you are feeling slightly put off by the thought of getting a piercing, there are other treatment options for you to consider.
Other Treatment Options
Getting prescribed medication is often the first thing that people try for effective treatment. This is because they are backed by research and prescribed by a licensed health professional. However, because these prescribed treatments have varying levels of efficacy from patient to patient, migraine sufferers often complement this with alternatives.
Some of the more common alternative treatment methods to aid these extreme headaches include practices such as acupuncture, auriculotherapy, yoga, meditation, changes to one’s diet, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Before delving into these, let’s first discuss what medication can do.
Medication
There is a range of prescription drugs available should you decide to pursue this route. If you prefer the sound of tablets that will either knock you out for a bit or help you to get through the day, then this might be a route worth considering.
Some of the prescriptive drugs available to you include Triptans, Beta-blockers, anti-seizure drugs or anti-depressants. Take a note of these to ask your doctor about.
While these names may sound scary and confusing, we would strongly encourage you to see a doctor who can help you sort through your migraines and find the best solution for you.
Diet Changes
Strangely enough, another cause of migraines may lie in what you regularly put into your body.
If you want to do it on your own, one possible way to help yourself is through the reduction or complete removal of caffeine and alcohol.
Should you feel better under the guidance of a professional, consult a nutritionist on your diet so they can help you make better lifestyle choices.
Interestingly, some studies have found ginger to be a pretty useful natural remedy.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice used to apply pressure to targeted pinpoints and nerves in people. It is common practice for acupuncturists to provide migraine relief, and there is scientific evidence to say that it is effective. That said, as with any treatment, it provides different levels of relief depending on the patient.
Although effective on some migraine sufferers, acupuncture can also be expensive, as well as only provide short-term relief.
Auriculotherapy
This treatment serves as a pseudoscience involving a form of acupuncture focused solely on one’s ear. The practitioner may use needles, their fingers, or ear seeds to alleviate pain.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Alternatively, another approach to try is the use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is another method that has shown its ability to target and alleviate migraines. Usually used as a means to treat severe health disorders and behavioral problems, it has also been shown to aid and abet this condition.
Yoga or Meditation
Yoga and meditation have been recommended as great relaxation techniques to manage one’s migraine suffering. Aside from the intended benefits to ease your suffering, this might be a terrific practice to implement into your life anyway to manage stress.
Final Thoughts
To finish off, although we would very much like to be able to give you an exact answer, the truth is, there is still much unknown about the effectiveness of daith piercing for migraines. What we can suggest and strongly recommend, is the personal effort to do some research, consult a health professional, and choose the best treatment options you feel most comfortable with.
