Chinese Medicine looks at migraines as energy rising up that's not getting dispersed. Most of its insight comes from patterns in nature, which is why Chinese Medicine works with a 5 element theory.
The five elements: earth, wood, water, metal and fire provide a framework on how to support and understand the body. Each element is connected to a season and has 2 corresponding organs, a yin organ and a yang organ. For the wood element in the season of spring, the two associated organs are the liver and gall bladder.
The liver meridian runs up the inside of the legs and the abodminals towards the side of our body and stops just under our chest in a space between the ribs. The gall bladder meridian runs along the pinky toe side of the body, up the neck and ends just outside the eye.
The liver is looked at as the master planner, meaning that it helps us forward think and also stores our blood. It's responsible for a smooth flow of qi/energy as it detoxifies our blood. When that function is disrupted, a headache or migraine can be the result.
On an emotional level, strong feelings like anger/frustration/irritability, can also disrupt that smooth flow of energy. The liver regulates the volume of blood in relation to our activity. We can experience cramps and fatigue when the liver is overworked or we've pushed it too hard physically.
The gall bladder is the decision maker and holds the body in from the sides. It stores and secretes the bile that aids in digestion. When we notice gas or change in our poop after eating foods higher in fat, our gall bladder might be over burdened. A strong gall bladder meridian gives one courage and initiative to make decisions.
If you tend to be timid or nervous around decisiveness, cross body stretches are your jam. These movements open up the sides of the body which can help disperse what's stagnant and getting in the way of you asserting yourself. The gall bladder provides the qi (energy) to the sinews (muscles). We can get stiff or have muscle pain when the body needs more movement instead of more rest. The gall bladder keeps us moving straight ahead by holding the body in from the sides along the meridian. If we get pulled off our path, we can experience blurred vision.
Chinese Medicine also has a time clock where each organ has a 2 hour period where it's completing its tasks. The liver detoxifies the blood and plans during the hours of 1-3am. If you've overburdened your liver with alcohol, you may wake during these hours. If you're stressed about career or unsettled with how to navigate situations, it's also common to wake during these hours.
The gall bladder is strongest from 11pm-1am. At this time, the gall bladder secretes the bile it's stored from the liver to break down the remainder of food from the day. This is why Chinese medicine suggests we finish eating for the day by 7pm. We don't want to be putting new food into the digestive tract when it's doing its cleanup.
The gall bladder is also doing cellular repair and building blood cells during this time. We need the extra energy we're not using of our mind while we're sleeping to be directed towards building and rebuilding what makes up the body.
My first migraine came at 40 when I was under extreme stress. I was sensitive to light in a way that was disorienting and painful to the point of nausea when my eyes were open. I saw an aura that felt like I'd looked at the sun too long but it didn't go away.
I've had 2 more recently and instinctually grabbed for a little tool I made to address my spine. This was in the first minutes I felt them coming on, which I think made a difference. Both of these were in response to lack of sleep and unfelt anger and they happened in the morning.
This approach relaxes your nervous system, so no matter the trigger or type, it should at a minimum lessen the intensity if not resolve them completely. Anytime we can hit the reset button, we loosen the muscle grip holding tension and calm the body. Both times I used this technique, it took around 10-15 minutes to release the aura. I teach the release on the floor, but if that's not an option for you, a wall can be a helpful replacement.
After releasing my spine, I laid down, closed my eyes. I thought it would be helpful to listen to a meditation but that didn't really move the needle. What was more effective was what I did next.
I opened up a voice note, sighed and shared what was on my mind. I talked about what made me sad and angry and stressed as gentle tears released for about 20 minutes.
I was most surprised by my stress in response to others' expectations of me.
I noticed when my shoulders raised towards my ears and the muscles in the back of my neck tightened. I acknowledged that out loud and then lowered them. That was a sign from my body of stress and held anger.
I get we don't always have the time to slow down with our bodies and for those times, the medication is a welcome relief. When we can take a beat to engage with a body that needs our time and attention, I believe we will let go of what's stored that we don't need to carry anymore.
If you experience migraines and are open to trying this out, I recommend doing it when you're feeling well. This way, when you're overwhelmed and in pain, you can do the least amount possible. If you have any tips or tricks you've learned through your dealings with migraines, I hope you share in a comment on the video so that others that watch are able to access your insight.