Good morning, day or evening wherever you are reading this. In this blog post, we will touch on the differences between headaches and migraines, what causes them and a short interview with our acupuncturist about how acupuncture here in Greenville is used for both migraines and headaches to lessen the pain, frequency and duration.
So, grab your coffee (or bourbon, we won’t judge) and let’s dive in.
As a brief reminder, let’s discuss what acupuncture is.
Acupuncture is a therapy that stimulates the nervous system to regulate pain, inflammation, circulation and stress. Very thin, single-use, sterile needles are placed at specific points to produce measurable physiological responses. This helps activate parasympathetic activity and tells the body to release endorphins– the body’s natural pain killers.
During a shift at the clinic, I asked Mary Elizabeth, our acupuncturist, some questions about acupuncture as a treatment for migraines, along with the difference between a migraine and a headache, and this is what she had to say:
Acupuncture works to relieve migraines and headaches, but what’s the difference?
Mary Elizabeth:
Migraines and headaches are two vastly different symptoms rooted in disparate internal pathophysiology. That difference matters when it comes to treatment.
Calling a migraine a headache is an insult to migraine sufferers. Migraines are a nuanced and complex neurological condition that involves inflammation, vascular changes, an excess of certain pain-signaling peptides and an over-responsive central nervous system. Migraines are debilitating, can last for multiple days and are often accompanied by sensitivity to sound, sensitivity to light, nausea or vomiting and visual disturbances. A migraine is like a powerful and destructive neurological hurricane–even when you know it’s coming and you prepare accordingly, you hunker down as best you can to survive the worst of it, all the while knowing there will be a lot of damage left in its wake.
Headaches, on the other hand, are usually not debilitating and often rooted in a myriad of non-neurological causes such as (but not limited to) muscle tension, changes to cervical vertebrae, dehydration/nutritional deficiencies, stress, and teeth clenching/grinding (to name a few). A headache is more like an inconvenient and benign summer rainstorm–it catches you by surprise on an otherwise gorgeous day creating a short-lived obstacle, but it doesn’t require any preparation prior to or clean up efforts after.
Here at Emerald City Acupuncture, we work with all of it: migraines, tension headaches, cervicogenic headaches (those coming from the neck and shoulders), sinus-related headaches (which are common in Greenville during allergy season) and everything in between. A big part of my job is helping people recognize when what they’re experiencing is actually a migraine — because treatment is always tailored to the pattern we’re seeing, not just the location of pain.
How does acupuncture help with migraines specifically?
Mary Elizabeth:
Migraines are a neurological condition that is closely tied to inflammation, intracranial pressure and changes in blood flow to the brain. Migraine sufferers tend to have reactive and sensitive nervous systems that make them more vulnerable to both internal stressors — like poor sleep, infection or hormonal shifts — and external ones, like weather and barometric pressure changes or environmental triggers like synthetic fragrances or certain chemicals.
Acupuncture helps by signaling the nervous system to help it become better regulated and less reactive, reducing its tendency to fire pain signals too easily or too often.
On a physiological level, acupuncture reduces inflammatory markers, improves circulation, and helps nerves return to a more stable baseline instead of staying stuck in a pain-signaling loop. When that happens, migraines tend to become less intense, less frequent, and shorter in duration.
What are the factors that might be causing a migraine?
Mary Elizabeth:
Migraines are a complex neurological condition. We know they involve the central nervous system, inflammation, rapid vascular changes in the brain and a higher presence of a signaling peptide called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).
There’s also a neurological component where nerves can get “stuck” in a loop — firing the same pain signal over and over, even when the original trigger is gone. Over time, that loop becomes easier to activate. That’s why migraines can become chronic and feel unpredictable.
With acupuncture, we’re looking at the full picture — nervous system regulation, circulation, inflammation, sleep, stress, and patterns over time — not just where the pain shows up.
Can acupuncture help with the nausea I get too?
Mary Elizabeth:
Yes — and that’s a really important part of migraine care that often gets overlooked. Migraines don’t just affect the head. They can impact digestion, serotonin signaling, and the gut-brain connection. That’s one reason nausea is so common with migraines, and why some medications are prescribed off-label to manage it.
Acupuncture helps regulate the nervous system and, by extension, the gut-brain axis. When we calm the neurological response and reduce inflammation, nausea often improves along with the head pain. Many patients notice they feel more settled overall — not just less pain, but fewer of the associated symptoms that make migraines so debilitating.
Will I always need acupuncture, or can I stop once I feel better?
Mary Elizabeth:
No — you don’t need to come in forever at the same frequency. With migraines, we usually work a little more frequently at the beginning to help calm the nervous system and reduce the intensity, frequency and duration of migraines. Over time, as the nervous system becomes less reactive, treatments naturally space out.
Once people feel stable, we transition to maintenance or as-needed care. Acupuncture is about helping the body reset — not keeping you locked into constant treatment.
What is your approach to treating migraines?
Mary Elizabeth:
My approach is never just about chasing the pain. With migraines, we have to look at what’s driving the inflammation and nervous system dysregulation in the first place.
Early on, treatment is usually a bit more frequent to help calm the nervous system and interrupt those repeated pain signals. Many migraine sufferers have nerves that continue firing long after the original trigger is gone — almost like the system never fully resets. Acupuncture helps restore that rhythm and balance.
We also pay close attention to patterns — things like seasonal changes, barometric pressure, sleep, stress, food triggers, etc. The goal isn’t to eliminate every migraine forever, but to dramatically reduce how debilitating they are. Most patients see progress within several weeks, with migraines becoming easier to manage and far less disruptive.
As things stabilize, treatment naturally tapers. Some people come in seasonally, others just when stress or weather changes ramp up. The goal is always long-term regulation, not constant care.
Last Thoughts
If you’re dealing with migraines in Greenville and looking for a non-pharmaceutical option, acupuncture may be a helpful part of your care.
Scheduling a consultation allows us to talk through your symptoms, triggers, and goals — and determine whether acupuncture is a good fit for you.
