Headaches & Migraines
Since the early seventies, studies around the globe have suggested that acupuncture is an effective treatment for migraines and headaches. Recent studies show extremely positive results:
“Acupuncture for the Management of Chronic Headache: A Systematic Review,” Duke University Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology
Summary:
In a systematic review of 31 randomized, controlled trials examining the effects of acupuncture in patients with chronic headaches, including migraines, tension-type, or both, actual acupuncture was found to be superior to medication therapy in improving the intensity of headaches, frequency of headaches, as well as physical function to sham acupuncture during early follow-up and late follow-up . These results suggest that acupuncture therapy may be a safe and effective treatment for patients with chronic headaches.
In a case study, published in the June 2003 Issue of Medical Acupuncture, doctors found that acupuncture resulted in the resolution or reduction in the frequency and severity of cluster headaches, and a decrease or discontinuation of medications. It was concluded that Acupuncture can be used to provide sustained relief from cluster headaches and to stimulate adrenal cortisol to aid in discontinuing corticosteroids.
A clinical observation, published in a 2002 edition of the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, of 50 patient presenting with various types of headaches were treated with scalp acupuncture. The results of this study showed that 98% of patients treated with scalp acupuncture experienced no headaches or only occasional, mild headaches in the six months following care.
In a study published in the November 1999 issue of Cephalalgia, scientists evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of migraines and recurrent headaches by systematically reviewing 22 randomized controlled trials. A total of 1,042 patients were examined. It was found that headache and migraine sufferers experienced significantly more relief from acupuncture than patients who were administered “sham” acupuncture.