Acupuncture Brought Relief for My Migraines

Acupuncture-Relief-for-MigrainesFrom the 2011 Summer Healthy Woman publication

Headaches had become a way of life for Susan Settele of Valparaiso. She began having headaches about 15 years ago. “They started out as three-day headaches, and it didn’t matter what I took for them. That’s how long they lasted,” she said.

The pain seemed to intensify. “If you can imagine a railroad spike sticking in your temple and turning it and turning it and turning… or being hit by a frying pan. That’s the headache,” she said.

Settele began seeing specialists who prescribed a variety of medications, which came with side effects and stopped working after a while. “Nothing worked,” she said. Settele was forced to transfer to a different department at work, away from sunny windows that were a frequent headache trigger. “I wasn’t able to complete work days. I suffered daily,” she added.

Last year Settele began medical acupuncture treatments with Faleh Atassi, MD, a Family Practitioner with Valparaiso Family Health Center, P.C. “I just lay still for the treatment, which takes less than an hour. It doesn’t really hurt, especially when you think about the headaches.” While Settele is still having regular acupuncture treatments, she needs them less frequently these days. “And I haven’t had a headache in three or four weeks,” she said. She’s able to work and enjoy life as a wife and mother again.


Visit the Porter Health System website
Valparaiso Campus
814 LaPorte Avenue
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Phone: 219-263-4600

Beyond migraines, medical acupuncture is proving effective for relieving back pain and neuropathy, and can even be used to treat infertility, asthma, insomnia, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Medical acupuncture can be covered by insurance, depending on the plan and the condition. Your physician can help you determine if medical acupuncture is right for you.

To make an appointment with Dr. Atassi, call 219.462.4446.