This Instagram Approved Ear Piercing Could Help Prevent Migraines

Because there's only so much Panadol can do.

Ashleigh Austen
WhimnApril 4, 20183:29pm

We're listening. Image: Instagram/@luvajSource:Whimn

Behold: the daith piercing. For the uninitiated, it’s the spot inside your ear, just above your tragus, which allows a ring to lay flat. And according to Instagram, it’s having a moment (you've no doubt seen it in your feed, with the #daithpiercing count sitting at 104,000)

The boom in popularity is for good reason, too. Not only does it come celeb approved, but because it's tucked further into your ear than the helix (and less prone to bumping), it reportedly heals quicker than other piercings.

But the biggest reason it’s gaining traction? Some people who suffer chronic migraines have credited it with alleviating symptoms. While medical research is lacking, the theory is that the spot of this piercing is linked to a pressure point that helps ease head tension, thus acting as a preventative measure against migraines.

One supporter is Nicole Bandes, the woman whose Facebook post went viral after she posted a shot of her newly-pierced ear, saying; “I would get three to four migraines per month on average. Not enough to warrant some of the extreme measures but enough to affect my life. Each migraine would take me out for one to two days at a time.”

“I've now had this for over six months and can honestly admit that is has worked for me. I've seen a reduction in frequency and intensity of my migraines where nothing else seemed to help.”

The piercing has been compared to acupuncture, but according to Dr Kirk Wilson, who has a PhD in acupuncture and how it can be used as an effective treatment for anxiety and depression, it is incorrect to say the daith piercing is rooted in Chinese medicine.

“I'm not saying it doesn't work, but I'm saying it's not in line. In Chinese medicine, what we do is ascertain what the underlying energetic imbalance is, which is causing people to experience the headache - and then treat that,” Dr Wilson told Body+Soul.

There is no one spot, per se, where an acupuncturist would focus, but rather a range of factors that the practitioner would look into when curing migraines, he says.

“Also, the inclusion criteria for what constitutes an acupuncture point is quite vague. It's difficult to understand. Thereby it is difficult to exclude that something might have a therapeutic effect. But what I will say is that [using the daith as a point to relieve the tension caused by migraines] is not consistent with the general consensus amongst Chinese medicine practitioners – but that's not to say that it doesn't work.”

Best to speak to your GP before you head for the nearest piercing place, then.

Is there a cure for migranes?

Is there a cure for migranes?

Is there a cure for migranes?

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