We want an easy way out of the migraine pain.
I suffered for years trying anything I could get my hands on to get relief.
After going through many health courses and learning what causes migraines and headaches I’ve been migraine free for 7 years now.
Migraine sufferers are always on the lookout for effective ways to find relief from their debilitating symptoms. One method that has gained popularity in recent years is ear piercing, specifically tragus and daith piercings. Though still considered a non-mainstream solution, many people swear by their effectiveness in alleviating migraine pain. In this article, we will explore the reasoning behind these piercings, the science (or lack thereof) supporting their use, and the testimonials of those who have experienced relief like the one below.
What is the tragus/daith ear piercing and how does it work to stop migraines?
There are two ear piercings that are gaining a lot of attention in the migraine treatment world because so little is focused on dealing with the actual causes of migraines like neuronal excitation and inflammation.
The two piercings are:
Daith
Tragus
There are some differences between the two but there is far too little scientific literature on either to make clear distinctions.
Daith piercing is the more popularly discussed method of preventing and relieving migraines and headaches.
The Migraine Professional community definitely vouches for daith piercings’ effectiveness more than the tragus.
It is also little known about why they work or if they are simply placebo but here is what we do know.
Acupuncture uses similar areas to treat diseases which we will talk about further down…
And
These areas go through arnold’s nerve that is connected to the vagus nerve which has been implicated in migraine.
Some conditions like depression and epilepsy have been proven to be relieved by vagus nerve stimulation and some of the common devices for migraines like gammacore are specifically used on the vagal nerve for relief.
Stimulation of the vagus nerve has been shown to have analgesic effects in some studies, which could potentially explain the perceived relief from migraines with these piercings.
Acupuncture, acupressure and vagal nerve stimulation are the closest reasons we have that connects the possible migraine relief to tragus and daith piercings. But make sure to read our huge warning below.
It’s fairly simple.
You find a reputable tattoo shop, get the piercing done and take care of it so that it heals well.
Some even advocate pulling on the piercing when you feel pain coming on to stimulate the vagus nerve further. See video below:
A Huge Warning
Adding metal into your body is not to be taken lightly.
Providing you take care of the hole and it heals up well without infection and with a quality metal that won’t poison you…
It’s important to understand that our bodies are electromagnetic and run on biological electricity.
When we add a metal into our bodies tissues, we turn that metal into an antenna for any radio, internet or other electromagnetic frequencies in the area.
Our cells use a very small amount of energy to communicate with each other so when we introduce a large amount of stimulation into an area we develop chaos in the system.
The best materials to use to avoid this include insulating and neutral substances such as:
– Bone
– Stone
– Porcelain
– Wood
See the video below on one of the world’s most renowned health experts Paul Chek talking about the dangers of piercing, metals, implants and radiation below:
Which side is the best for tragus or daith ear piercings to help migraines?
Generally what is recommended is that you get the piercing on the side where you experience the most pain.
If we take what we know from the information above then we would make sure that if we have a one-sided piercing we get a piercing on the other side to help balance the pull of radiation.
For the musculoskeletal system, compensating for tension on both sides is easier than just one.
This is especially important if we have an imbalance like TMJ which can be made worse by one sided stress.
Is the daith or tragus ear piercing working through acupuncture?
There are some that say acupuncture is at work here and others not.
An interview on ear piercings with Dr. Foster says:
“”Yes I have heard of that piercing,” said Foster, an acupuncturist. “Whether it’s effective for all people suffering from migraines is an interesting question.”
Dr. Foster says it really just depends on the person and the type of migraine that they get. He says that point on the ear is associated with digestive organs. So if your migraine stems from digestive issues, the piercing could work.
“There are zones on the ear that correspond directly to zones on the body,” he said.”
And acupuncture is well known to work for migraines and headaches of all kinds.
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to alleviate pain and treat various health conditions. Some studies have shown that acupuncture may be effective in reducing migraine frequency and intensity (2). It is hypothesized that these piercings could stimulate acupuncture points that target migraine relief, but more research is needed to confirm this theory.
Even sham acupuncture works really well because needles have a huge placebo effect.
This study on acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis found that, “the mean (SD) frequency of attacks decreased in the true acupuncture group by 3.2 (2.1),
in the sham acupuncture group by 2.1 (2.5),
and the waiting-list group by 1.4 (2.5);
a greater reduction was observed in the true acupuncture than in the sham acupuncture group.”
My perspective is that it’s far better to use a systematic approach to health than just take shots in the dark.
It works much better and you know what’s happening so you can track and alter course for even more benefit.
How to change daith ear piercings, earrings and jewelry
By popular demand I’ve also attached a video on how to change daith ear piercings, earrings and jewelry below.
Reviews for tragus and daith ear piercings for migraine relief
Now we will talk about all the amazing and not-so-amazing reviews for these ear piercings and if they prevent migraines for others.
First, let’s start with what the Migraine Professional Community says click here.
Now let’s see some reviews left in the comments of tragus and daith piercing videos:
Although scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of tragus and daith piercings for migraine relief is scarce, the power of personal experience cannot be underestimated. Many people who have undergone these piercings have reported significant improvements in their migraine symptoms. While it’s essential to approach such anecdotal evidence with caution, these personal testimonials can offer hope and inspiration to migraine sufferers who have tried other treatments without success.
These reviews are amazing, but what do the studies say?
Daith Piercing migraine studies
First off let’s start with one of the only actual scientific studies done on daith piercing. Sadly none have been done on tragus.
This study presents a case of a 54 year old man with “refractory chronic migraine with medication-overuse, who substantially improved after bilateral ear daith piercing.”
Of his own free will he decided to get the daith piercing.
“After that, he experienced a reduction of migraine attacks, which became very rare, and infrequent, less disabling episodes of tension-type headache.”
But this doesn’t tell us much because it’s only one case.
What we do have is some amazing graphs done by surveys through migrainepal and migrainebuddy.
The first is a survey done by migrainebuddy which involved 70 users who shared their experience, made simple in the graph below.
This shows that 41% experienced no change but the rest did.
Next we have a survey done by migrainepal which included a much larger 1107 participants.
This shows that 36% of people who participated and had the daith piercing had their migraines stay the same or increase since the piercing.
The rest reduced or eliminated their migraines.
These studies are basically showing that it’s fairly 50/50 hit or miss.
What can we learn from this?
Taking all of this information into account, it’s important to understand that this little and seemingly insignificant piercing in the grand scheme of migraine can make a huge difference in a person’s life.
That said, it doesn’t seem to be addressing the cause of migraine that often goes untreated and can create neurological damage later on.
In my personal practise I’ve seen much better results in taking a systematic approach where you address all the factors that are adding oxidation, inflammation, stress and tension into your life.
Doing this alone often relieves migraines by half or more unless there is a deeper pathology going on.
But it’s simple, the body is always trying to heal and always attempting to repair damage that leads to pain.
If we can remove what’s causing the damage and give the body the support it needs through its 6 foundation principles…
Then add in some supplements to fill in the holes and pain disappears.
When nothing else works, we need to learn simple steps we can take to heal our brain, recover our digestive capacity and fix our hormones.
This is exactly why I created the 10 steps program which takes you step by step over 10 weeks to developing a strong foundation on which your brain can recover.
Our brain is about 90% immune cells so as much work as we need to do for our neurons, we also need to fix our immune system or the inflammation will keep on coming.
Click the picture below and learn the simple system that works without drugs or invasive procedures.
Have you ever had your daith or tragus pierced for migraine relief? Let me know in the comments below.
See our facebook discussion and what everyone has to say about their experience here.
