Phoebe Gets Headache Relief with Dry Needling
Phoebe lived with migraine headaches for decades, experiencing 2-3 episodes per month that could last for several days. Physical side effects included nausea and visual disturbances, all of which caused Phoebe to retreat from the life she loved, declining social invitations and professional opportunities in anticipation of yet another migraine.
She tried everything for treatment. Heavy doses of pain medication first. Then acupuncture, acupressure, diet modification, steroid and Botox injections, biofeedback, and massage therapy. Many of those treatments provided short-term relief, but Phoebe struggled to find the kind of lasting results, free of problematic side effects, that would allow her to regain control of her life.
It wasn’t until a neurologist referred Phoebe to physical therapy for trigger point therapy that Phoebe escaped the cycle of migraine episodes that had plagued her for 30 years.
“I had immediate results with relief,” Phoebe said. Headache episodes were shorter, and, more important, they were less frequent. Soon Phoebe counted up to 12 consecutive pain-free days—a personal breakthrough. “I could not remember having that many pain-free days in a row since 1974,” she said.
Her physical therapist wasn’t surprised. PTs have long used trigger-point therapy to treat orthopedic conditions like shoulder impingement, patellofemoral pain, and iliotibial band syndrome, and have confidence the treatment could be effective in treating the effects of migraine headaches.
Thanks to trigger point therapy, today Phoebe’s life is much different than before. She’s working again, and she’s back to making plans with friends and family.
“It makes me feel like I’m truly living my life again, instead of sitting in my room sick,” Phoebe said.