Can Piercings Cure Migraines?
PIERCINGS & HEALTH BENEFITS
Can piercings help migraines?
Will nipple piercings affect sensitivity?
Are there piercings for anxiety?
So glad you asked.
Let’s dive into why piercings are good for you and what piercings help with what!
EAR PIERCINGS AS ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
There’s a theory out there that basically states poking holes through your ears is like acupuncture.
Auriculotherapy is defined by Wikipedia as a form of alternative medicine based on the idea that the ear is a micro-system which reflects the entire body.
Get poked in the right spot and there may be a heap of health benefits throughout the body.
DAITH PIERCINGS
The most common question we get asked regarding the health benefits of piercings, is which piercings help with migraines.
For this ailment, we recommend the daith piercing.
A daith piercing is a piercing of the fold of cartilage that’s just above the entrance to your ear canal.
Researchers at Migraine Buddy (an app for logging migraines and headaches), spoke with a professional piercer about the daith.
“SHE DOES ABOUT 10–20 PIERCINGS A WEEK FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WHO SUFFER FROM MIGRAINES, AND 90% OF THE PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW UP WITH (HER) HAVE EITHER LESS FREQUENT ATTACKS OR LESS INTENSE ATTACKS OR HAVE NOT HAD ANY SINCE.”
There’s also a small body of evidence to suggest that daith piercings help with chronic anxiety.
So, can piercings help migraines or relieve anxiety?
Does the piercing really help or is it a placebo effect?
Does it matter as long as it relieves the pain?
“WE DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THIS TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY TO RULE OUT THE PLACEBO EFFECT. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT GETTING ACUPUNCTURE TO TREAT MIGRAINES AND ANXIETY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO WORK BETTER THAN A PLACEBO. IF DAITH PIERCINGS DO WORK TO EASE ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, IT’S MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THE PIERCING MECHANISM IS SIMILAR TO ACUPUNCTURE.” HER CAMPUS
CONCH PIERCINGS
It’s meant to help with muscle relaxation as well as chronic pain.
Ironically, a conch piercing relieves chronic pain — it’s ironic because it probably hurts the most of all ear piercings.
A blog writer on Maple Leaf Aussie who suffered from fibromyalgia had the following to say,
“I’VE BEEN ABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE MY CODEINE INTAKE BY ABOUT 90%. BEFORE THE CONCH PIERCING, THERE WERE DAYS WHEN I WAS TAKING AS MUCH CODEINE AS I HAD BEEN PRESCRIBED, AND SOMETIMES IT DIDN’T SEEM TO TOUCH THE PAIN AT ALL. IN THE SEVEN WEEKS SINCE THE PIERCING, I’VE TAKEN LESS AND LESS OF IT.”
LOBE PIERCINGS
There’s a science to your lobe jewellery!
A few sources say that your first hole placement piercing on your ear lobes may actually improve your eyesight.
Apparently, pirates wore gold hoops so they could see better at nighttime… but that’s up for debate.
Your third hole placement lobe piercings are said to help with depression.
INDUSTRIAL PIERCINGS
Allergy season getting you down?
Try getting an industrial piercing to help with your allergies!
Not sure about the science behind this one… but they look great.
ROOK PIERCINGS
It’s a well known fact that a lot of people find stress relieving benefits in acupuncture.
When it comes to ear acupuncture, or Auriculotherapy, the rook piercing is the holy grail of stress relief.
A rook piercing goes through the inner edge of the uppermost ridge of your ear (the ridge above the daith).
What makes this piercing even better, is it’s said to alleviate cramping and pain from menstrual periods.
TRAGUS PIERCINGS
Your new favourite piercing is the tragus piercing, which sits on the small area of cartilage that partially covers your ear canal.
According to Dr. Paul Nogier, The Father of Modern Auriculotherapy,
“THE ACUPUNCTURE POINT RIGHT ON THE MIDDLE OF YOUR TRAGUS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR APPETITE CONTROL, WHICH AFTER PIERCING HELPS TO CONTROL YOUR APPETITE.”
Don’t start stuffing your face just yet — you’ll still need to eat well and exercise regularly — nice try!
HELIX PIERCINGS (AKA CARTILAGE RIM)
A piercing in the 10 o’clock position, is said to relieve insomnia, while a piercing in the 12 o’clock position, provides allergy relief.
So that’s why the industrial piercing works so well with allergy relief!
There is a point on top of the ear called the “allergy point” which relieves symptoms of allergies such as congestion or a sore throat.
SHEN MEN PIERCINGS
Shen men, translating to “heavenly gate,” is located at the top of the ear and said to relieve a number of ailments.
Similar to the daith piercing, a shen men piercing helps with anxiety, but Chinese acupuncturists hold that this spot relieves anything from allergies to addiction.
GENITAL PIERCINGS AS SEXUAL HEALING
Alright look, there’s really not a lot of solid evidence when it comes to piercings and their healing qualities.
However, body modifications in general are proven to have a positive impact on our mood, and that sounds a lot like health to us.
Piercings are exhilarating and make us feel better about ourselves; perhaps hormones released piercings make us all a little bit happier.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Speaking of getting a little pleasure out of the pain, let’s dive into piercings that make us feel good.
NIPPLE PIERCINGS
The number one question asked is “Will nipple piercings affect sensitivity?”
You bet they will.
Nipple piercings increase sensitivity for added stimulation.
And nipple piercings can make orgasms better.
If you’re considering one, just keep in mind that you’re in for a good time.
VAGINAL PIERCINGS
Sexual wellness is a part of your overall health.
Fun fact: Some women who’ve been pierced “down there” say it helped them reach their first orgasm.
This is one of the main reasons women get a genital piercing and we’re here for it.
Are there sexual benefits to having a vaginal piercing?
According to HealthLine, clitoral glans and hood piercings can enhance arousal and pleasure during personal or partner play or sexual activity.
If increased sensation is what you’re going for, try the VCH, Princess Diana, or triangle piercings.
PENIS PIERCINGS
If you’re ready to take your sexual wellness up a notch, the Prince Albert is for you.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A piercing may not be able to cure you, but if there’s even a slight chance that it could help we say go for it.
On top of looking absolutely fantastic, piercings may have a lot of health benefits.
Can piercings help with migraines?
Maybe.
Will nipple piercings affect sensitivity?
Oh yeah.
Are there piercings for anxiety?
Why not try and let us know!
Further Reading
Piercing Rejection: The Signs to Watch Out for and What to Do
