Are You Suffering from Chronic or Recurring Headaches?
Do you experience any of the following?
- You have suffered from headaches for many years.
- You regularly take headache medication but are concerned about side effects.
- You would like to reduce your reliance on medication and try a more natural approach.
- Your headaches interfere with your work, household tasks, or daily activities.
- You frequently experience headaches and would like to reduce how often they return.
- Your head feels foggy, making it difficult to concentrate or think clearly.
If any of these sound familiar, acupuncture may be one option to consider.
At Elle Acupuncture in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, we provide individualized acupuncture treatment for people suffering from chronic and recurring headaches.
Our treatment combines three approaches:
- Treatment of tight muscles and trigger points
- Meridian-based acupuncture
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) based on each patient’s symptoms and constitution
Our goal is not only to relieve headache symptoms but also to address factors that may be contributing to recurring headaches.
The Connection Between Headaches and Neck Muscles
Some people continue to experience chronic headaches even after medical examinations have found no serious abnormalities.
In these cases, tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders may be one of the factors contributing to the headache.
The director of Elle Acupuncture has more than 31 years of clinical experience in acupuncture treatment and has treated many patients suffering from headaches.
Through many years of clinical practice, we have frequently observed significant tension in the neck and shoulder muscles of patients with chronic headaches.
When these muscles become tight, circulation may be affected and pain may develop or worsen.
At Elle Acupuncture, we incorporate trigger point acupuncture to target muscles that may be associated with headache symptoms.
For example:
- Pain around the temples may sometimes be associated with tension in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle.
- Pain in the back of the head may be associated with tension in the suboccipital muscles.
By carefully treating these tight muscles, acupuncture may help reduce muscular tension and improve local circulation, which may contribute to headache relief.
Some patients also report feeling mentally clearer and experiencing improved concentration after treatment.
Meridian Acupuncture for Chronic Headaches
In addition to treating muscles and trigger points, we also use meridian acupuncture and extraordinary meridian therapy based on the principles of East Asian medicine.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi and Blood are believed to circulate throughout the body along pathways called meridians. When this circulation becomes disrupted, various symptoms may occur.
For example:
- The Gallbladder Meridian runs along the side of the head.
- The Bladder Meridian travels through areas including the back of the head.
Depending on the location and characteristics of the headache, we select appropriate acupuncture points and meridians for each patient.
Combining muscular treatment with meridian acupuncture may be helpful for people suffering from recurring or chronic headaches.
Acupuncture for Stress-Related Headaches
Stress can increase physical tension and may contribute to headaches.
When stress builds up, muscles in the neck and shoulders may tighten, and changes in the autonomic nervous system may also be associated with worsening headache symptoms.
For patients whose headaches tend to worsen during periods of stress, we select acupuncture points according to their individual symptoms and physical condition.
The treatment is designed to promote relaxation, reduce muscular tension, and support overall physical balance.
Headaches That Worsen on Rainy Days or Before a Typhoon
Do you notice that:
- Your headache tends to appear on rainy days?
- Your headache becomes worse when a typhoon or major weather change approaches?
Some people are particularly sensitive to changes in weather and atmospheric pressure.
From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, these symptoms may sometimes be interpreted as being associated with an imbalance in the body’s fluid metabolism, traditionally described as “water retention” or “water imbalance” (Shuidu / 水毒).
In these cases, acupuncture points such as Sanyinjiao (SP6) may be selected according to the patient’s overall condition.
Treatment aims to support the body’s natural balance while helping reduce recurring headache symptoms.
Headaches Associated with Feeling Cold
Some people notice that their headaches become worse when their body becomes cold.
For these patients, treatment may include techniques designed to warm the body and promote relaxation and circulation.
Rather than treating every headache in exactly the same way, we carefully evaluate each patient’s symptoms and physical constitution and create an individualized treatment plan.
Our Approach to Headache Treatment in Ikebukuro, Tokyo
Medication can be very important for controlling headache symptoms. However, some people continue to experience recurring headaches despite medication, while others would like to explore additional non-drug approaches.
At Elle Acupuncture, our headache treatment focuses on three main areas:
- Relaxing tight muscles and trigger points
- Improving balance along the meridians
- Using Traditional Chinese Medicine principles to address each patient’s individual constitution
Our goal is to help reduce headache symptoms and support a body that is less prone to recurring headaches.
If you have been suffering from chronic headaches or are looking for acupuncture for headaches in Tokyo, please feel free to contact Elle Acupuncture in Ikebukuro.
We will carefully evaluate your symptoms and provide an individualized acupuncture treatment based on your condition.
Important: Please Rule Out Serious Medical Conditions First
Headaches can sometimes be caused by serious medical conditions, including brain tumors, cerebral infarction (stroke), cerebral hemorrhage, or subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Please seek medical attention promptly if you experience:
- A sudden, extremely severe headache unlike anything you have experienced before
- A severe or persistent headache that does not improve
- Numbness or weakness in the arms or legs
- Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
- Loss of consciousness, severe dizziness, or other unusual neurological symptoms
It is important to receive appropriate medical examination and testing before assuming that a persistent or severe headache is caused by muscle tension or other non-serious factors.
Elle Acupuncture – Tokyo Ikebukuro
Individualized acupuncture treatment for chronic headaches, neck and shoulder tension, stress-related headaches, and weather-related headaches.
Profile of Director Hiroko Abe
The director of Elle Acupuncture is a licensed acupuncturist with 31 years of Acupuncture らexperience. She has studied not only in Japan but also in the United States and China, acquiring a broad range of knowledge and techniques in acupuncture treatment. Based on this extensive experience, she provides individualized acupuncture treatment tailored to each patient’s symptoms and condition.
In addition to trigger point acupuncture for pain relief, Acupuncture provides acupuncture treatment for a wide range of conditions, including menopausal symptoms, autonomic nervous system disorders, post-COVID conditions, intractable skin disorders, Parkinson’s disease, hemiplegia following cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage, facial nerve paralysis, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, and other difficult-to-treat conditions.
Elle Acupuncture
Access
7-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Ikebukuro Station (Yamanote Line)
Address
Lions Mansion Higashi-Ikebukuro No. 3, Room 502
1-31-13 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013
Japan
Please make your appointment by LINE or email.
Business Hours
Reception Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Treatment Fees
- Acupuncture Treatment: From ¥9,900 per session
- The base fee of ¥9,900 includes up to 30 acupuncture needles.
- If more than 30 needles are required, an additional ¥1,100 will be charged for every 10 extra needles.
Discount Package
10-Treatment Package: ¥88,000
