Acupuncture for Migraines & Headaches in Alpine, WY

At Teton AIM, acupuncture for migraines and headaches works by finding what's actually driving them: the neurological triggers, hormonal shifts, posture and neck mechanics, and the blood sugar and sleep patterns underneath it all.

Our migraine treatments are drug-free, non-invasive, and rooted in science.

Schedule Appointment

307-226-4404

Find out whether acupuncture is the right next step for your headaches.

Teton Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine takes a root-cause approach to migraine relief and prevention. Dr. Melissa Franklin, DACM, evaluates the whole system — the cervical spine, the nervous system, blood sugar regulation, sleep quality, digestion, and posture — and treats what's actually driving your pain, not just the pain itself.

Our clinic is located in Alpine, Wyoming.

Serving patients from Jackson, Star Valley, and across the region.

What's Actually Driving Your Headaches

Headaches rarely come from just one thing. Sleep, hydration, blood sugar, posture, hormones, caffeine, and stress all shape how often you get headaches and how bad they are.

Here's the part most people don't expect: the medication you take to manage headaches can end up causing more of them. Take pain relievers or migraine medication often enough, and headaches actually get more frequent — a real, common pattern called medication overuse headache (or rebound headache).

Most headache treatment only works one way: something taken after it starts to stop it. That's abortive treatment, and it does nothing to prevent the next one.

Preventive treatment works on what's happening between headaches instead, so you get fewer of them over time — and need less medication to get there, not more.

Dr. Franklin's first step is always a thorough assessment: posture, neck, sleep, blood sugar, digestion, and how often you're reaching for medication. The plan isn't just about getting through today's headache — it's about having fewer of them.

Schedule Your Consultation

307-226-4404

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating migraines.

What Patients Say

“I have been dealing with chronic headaches for over a year. I have seen multiple doctors and taken many different pharmaceutical drugs and have not had any relief. I saw Dr. Franklin for a treatment (going in with a headache I'd rate at a 5) and by the time she was done working on me, my headache was COMPLETELY GONE!! I have not had it go away all together in months. It is always there, even if it's just dull. I am amazed!”

Types of Headaches and Migraines We Treat Often

Whether your head pain shows up once a month or several times a week, the type points to a very different treatment approach. If your symptoms don't fit neatly into one category, that's normal. Your assessment with Dr. Franklin is designed to sort that out.

Acupuncture

Migraines & Chronic Migraine

Throbbing, often one-sided pain that can bring nausea, sensitivity to light, and visual disturbances, sometimes lasting hours to days. Migraines are frequently set off by blood sugar swings, poor sleep, specific foods, hormonal shifts, or — for anyone living at altitude or driving over mountain passes regularly — sudden changes in barometric pressure.

For a chronic migraine pattern, prevention matters more than treating each attack as it comes. Treatment works between episodes to make the nervous system less reactive to those triggers, so the goal is fewer and milder migraines, not just faster recovery from the one you're in.

Hormonal Headaches

Hormonal headaches show up like clockwork before your period, during perimenopause, or after a change in hormonal birth control. These track with shifts in estrogen and progesterone rather than posture or stress alone.

Treatment supports regulation of hormones alongside the blood sugar and sleep patterns that compound hormonal swings, working to soften the pattern rather than just numb the pain once it arrives.

Vestibular Migraines

Dizziness, a rocking or tilting sensation, motion sickness, or balance trouble that shows up with little or no head pain at all — often missed because it doesn't look like a typical migraine. Vestibular migraine treatment addresses blood sugar, sleep, and stress alongside balance and sensory-focused exercises, helping the vestibular system recalibrate and feel steadier day to day.

Tension Headaches

A steady ache or band of tightness across the forehead, temples, or the back of the head, often building through a stressful day or a long stretch at a screen. Tension headaches often come from sustained tightness in the neck, shoulders, and jaw.

Acupuncture for tension headaches releases the overworked muscles driving the tension. Postural work addresses the daily patterns keeping them tight.

Cervicogenic Headaches

A headache that builds at the base of the skull and wraps forward, often after a hard day at the desk or a poor night's sleep — driven by the neck rather than the head itself.

This type is rooted in cervical mechanics, which is why cervicogenic headache treatment happens as part of our neck pain approach rather than as its own protocol.

TMJ, Post-Concussion or TBI Headaches

Jaw clenching or grinding can refer pain into the temples and behind the eyes, often without the person even noticing the habit. A head injury can leave headaches that linger for weeks with light sensitivity and fatigue.

TMJ responds to jaw-focused treatment alongside postural correction; post-concussion cases need a confirmed medical evaluation first, with acupuncture and postural work supporting recovery alongside your care team.

Are you ready to address the root of the problem?

Request Your Appointment

307-226-4404

How We Treat Migraines & Headaches at Teton AIM

Dr. Franklin builds every treatment plan from assessment findings, reducing the frequency, intensity, and duration of headaches and migraines. Beyond structured progress tracking, improving your overall quality of life is the true measure of success.

Most cases include a combination of the following treatment options:

Acupuncture & Electroacupuncture

Acupuncture is used to reduce pain, decrease inflammation, relax tight muscles, improve circulation, and regulate the nervous system. Research has shown acupuncture can help reduce both the frequency and intensity of migraines and chronic headaches. A gentle electric current may be added when additional stimulus is needed for stubborn or long-standing patterns.

Postural Alignment Therapy

Postural and movement assessment identifies patterns such as forward head posture, asymmetries, or muscular imbalances that may place additional stress on the neck and upper back. Postural alignment therapy corrects this pattern at the source, and is especially central to tension and cervicogenic headache cases.

Lifestyle & Nutritional Guidance

Hydration, sleep quality, caffeine intake, stress management, and blood sugar regulation are addressed as part of every treatment plan, not as an afterthought to the needling itself. Small, consistent changes in these areas are often what separates a headache pattern that fully resolves from one that just quiets down for a while.

Schedule Appointment

307-226-4404

If you've been skeptical of acupuncture and integrative medicine, Dr. Franklin’s approach is worth understanding. It's grounded in orthopedic assessment and functional neurology, not energetic theory. She assesses the whole system, explains the why, and partners with you on the plan.

What To Expect From Your Migraine Treatment Plan

Healing is not linear, and migraine and headache patterns take time to shift — but it follows a clear path when the right structures are being treated.

Here's what that looks like at Teton AIM:

Your first visit includes a thorough evaluation of your posture, cervical spine, sleep, blood sugar patterns, and digestion alongside your headache history. Most patients choose to begin their treatment plan the same day.

Sessions typically start at 2x per week for the first 2–3 weeks, allowing the nervous system and soft tissues to begin adapting before spacing out.

Progress is tracked at every visit, including headache frequency, intensity, duration, and known triggers, so you always know where you stand and the plan adjusts as you respond.

You'll leave most visits with specific homework like dietary, sleep, or postural adjustments to practice between sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can acupuncture help migraines?

Yes. Acupuncture works on the nervous system to turn down migraine-related pain signaling, and research supports its use in reducing migraine frequency and severity. At Teton AIM, chronic headache treatment also looks at the blood sugar swings, sleep gaps, and food triggers that tend to set migraines off in the first place, so care isn't just managing an attack in progress — it's addressing what's setting it off.

What makes a migraine ‘chronic’?

Migraines are generally considered chronic when they happen 15 or more days a month, with at least eight of those being migrainous — a pattern where prevention matters more than treating each attack as it comes. If that's your pattern, treatment focuses on making the nervous system less reactive to your triggers between episodes, not just recovering faster from the one you're in.

Can acupuncture help headaches that start in my neck?

Yes — this is the one headache type that's actually rooted in the neck rather than the head, so we treat it within our broader neck care rather than as its own protocol. Learn more about how we treat neck pain at Teton AIM.

Can acupuncture help cluster headaches?

Some diagnosed patients use acupuncture and FSM alongside their neurologist's care, particularly to address the neck and postural strain that can compound an already severe pattern. For cluster headache treatment, we're glad to coordinate directly with your prescribing provider rather than working around them — contact us to talk through where you're at.

Is Dr. Franklin a migraine specialist?

Migraines and headaches are a specific area of clinical interest for Dr. Franklin, and her assessments draw on the orthopedic and functional-neurology training most general acupuncturists don't have. She isn't a neurologist, and for red-flag symptoms or a formal neurological diagnosis, that's still the right referral — but for an integrative, root-cause approach once serious causes are ruled out, this is very much among her focuses.

Is this treatment for stopping an attack, or preventing the next one?

Mainly prevention. Acupuncture and FSM can ease pain and sensitivity during a flare, but the real value of a consistent plan is a nervous system that's less reactive to your triggers over time, meaning fewer migraines or headaches to begin with. If you're in the middle of an attack right now, treatment can still help — but the bigger goal is having fewer of these to treat.

How many acupuncture sessions will I need for migraines or headaches?

It depends on the type and how long it's been present. Some patients notice a difference after just one or two sessions, though a meaningful reduction in frequency or intensity typically takes 6–8 sessions, with chronic or long-standing patterns taking longer. Dr. Franklin will give you a realistic timeline after your first assessment.

Is acupuncture covered by insurance for migraines or headaches?

Coverage varies by plan. Teton AIM does not bill insurance directly but can provide a superbill for you to submit for possible reimbursement. Many patients use HSA or FSA funds to cover treatment. Contact us with any questions about payment or coverage — we're happy to help.