Effective Treatment for Ocular Migraines

Do you suffer from migraines that begin behind your eyes? Are you sensitive to light and need to stay in a dark room during a migraine attack? Do you see flickers or waves in your vision before you experience a migraine?

Ocular migraines are marked by symptoms that affect your vision. They occur more commonly in females who have had a history of migraines with auras. You may hear your doctor call ocular migraine by other names, such as visual, retinal, ophthalmic, or monocular migraine. Ocular migraines affect vision in one eye, while migraines with aura may be characterized by symptoms in both eyes.

At Inner Light Wellness Acupuncture, we have been helping our patients diagnosed with ocular migraines lead pain-free and healthier lives with our customized acupuncture treatment plans.

Success Story

I had tried everything for my neck pain/migraines from chiropractic, physical therapy, massage and medication. Nothing had worked for me so I decided to try acupuncture in hopes it would work. Coming to see Margaret Celli was the best decision I could’ve made. I used to have pain and headaches at least every two weeks that would last for days. Since coming to acupuncture for the last few weeks, I haven’t had one episode. I’m so grateful I can enjoy life again without the fear of my pain.

— B R

How Does Acupuncture Treat Ocular Migraines?

Previously “ocular migraine” referred to any migraine accompanied by visual symptoms. Currently, terms such as retinal migraine, which features symptoms in one eye, or migraine with aura, which often presents with symptoms in both eyes are preferred.

Causes of Ocular Migraines
Ocular migraines have been associated with abnormal electrical activity in the visual cortex of the brain. However, they can also be caused by arteries becoming narrower, resulting in temporary blood flow problems. Some of the commonly found triggers for ocular migraine include:

Anxiety & stress
Certain types of foods
Caffeinated drinks
Changes in weather
Bright lights, strong scents & loud noise
Hormonal changes
Dehydration
Lack of proper nutrition

How Many Treatments Will I Need?

At your first visit, we will go over your symptoms and health history to determine if you are a candidate for care. Then we will recommend a customized treatment plan with just the right combination of acupuncture therapies that work best for your unique symptoms. You may receive treatment on your first visit.

Treatment frequency will vary based on the severity of your ocular migraines. Most people start with two to three visits per week for the first few weeks then move to two visits per week for several more weeks. Once you are improving between the visits, we reduce the frequency until you are on once per month maintenance visits. Patients who follow this protocol achieve long lasting results with ocular migraines.

How Soon Will I See Results?

Most patients report improvement after several weeks of care. Remember, chronic headache pain has likely been with you for some time by the time you seek acupuncture treatment. Pain relief can depend on many variables such as the cause of your pain, your current health status, medications, diet and lifestyle. Rest assured, we see at least an 85% success rate for our patients receiving acupuncture for headaches.

Get back to doing the things you love…with acupuncture!

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