Acupuncture for Headaches & Migraines in Portland, Maine

How We Approach Headaches & Migraines

Headaches are one of the most undertreated conditions in conventional medicine. Most patients are offered pain management rather than an explanation of why the headaches are occurring in the first place. Chinese medicine takes a different approach, diagnosing the pattern behind the pain and treating it at the root.

The most common presentations we see are tension headaches driven by tight muscles in the neck and upper back, TMJ-related headaches, and hormonally triggered migraines. Post-concussion headaches are another significant area of our practice, requiring a more specialized and careful approach.

Tight muscles are the most straightforward driver of headache pain. When the muscles of the neck, jaw, and upper back are chronically contracted, they restrict circulation to the head and create pressure that manifests as pain. In Chinese medicine, where there is restriction, there is pain. Where there is free flow, there is ease.

Hormonally triggered headaches, particularly those that occur around menstruation, have a specific explanation in Chinese medicine. During menstruation, a significant volume of blood is directed inward and downward toward the uterus. This means less blood is circulating through the upper body, including the head and neck. For women who already have a tendency toward blood deficiency, this shift in circulation can trigger headaches and migraines during or around their period. Addressing blood deficiency through acupuncture and herbal medicine is often the key to resolving hormonal headaches.

How We Treat

Treatment combines acupuncture and dry needling, working both locally and distally. Local points target the head, face, and jaw directly. Distal points, located on the arms, hands, legs, and feet, are selected based on which channels are involved.

For post-concussion headaches, we focus primarily on dry needling in the upper back, shoulders, and neck where tension accumulates after head injury. We also use local points on the scalp. By promoting gentle circulation, treatments offer gradual support rather than aggressive intervention.

What to Expect

Most headache patients notice a meaningful shift within three to four treatments. How quickly you respond depends on how long the headaches have persisted and how intense they are. Chronic, long-standing headache patterns take longer to unwind than those that are more recent in onset.

Learn more about what to expect at your first visit.

Who We Treat

We work with patients dealing with tension headaches, migraines, TMJ-related head pain, hormonal headaches, and post-concussion symptoms. If you have been managing headaches with medication and are looking for a more lasting solution, Chinese medicine may offer a different path forward.