Migraine Headache Relief and Acupuncture
Acupuncture offers natural migraine headache relief that is very effective and also comes without the side effects of Western drug treatments. Most conventional treatments offer little more than a symptomatic bandage and are too often ineffective in reversing the underlying conditions. Symptoms such as pain, nausea and sensitivity to noise and light often accompany a migraine and can continue for years until the underlying causes are changed.
Many studies confirm that acupuncture is an effective therapy for migraines:
A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2004 examined more than 400 adults who experienced regular headaches or migraines. During the three-month study, one group of participants received twelve acupuncture sessions to determine whether or not this alternative treatment could help reduce or prevent their head pain. The other group received only standard conventional care.
The results of this study are impressive – The acupuncture group participants experienced fewer overall headaches and were able to use less medication. Participants who received acupuncture reported fewer sick days and better focus as well.
Reviews appearing in The Cochrane Library show similarly positive results. Studies that compared acupuncture to drug treatments found that acupuncture was effective at reducing the number of headache days participants experienced. The intensity of the pain they experienced was also reduced.
These reviews also looked at studies which examined whether or not the relief felt from acupuncture is merely a placebo effect. These studies compared genuine acupuncture to “sham” acupuncture, and they found that migraine sufferers experienced significantly more relief when given genuine acupuncture therapy.
The safety and effectiveness of acupuncture migraine therapy make it a viable alternative to conventional treatments. By decreasing the number of headaches you experience and the intensity of the pain, acupuncture has the ability to restore your productivity and may allow you to avoid taking unnecessary drugs. Be sure to only have acupuncture performed by a qualified and certified acupuncturist who will be able to give you appropriate therapy for your migraine headaches.
Can acupuncture provide relief from migraine headaches?
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a number of tools that are very effective in providing relief from migraine headaches. The treatment strategy is based on a thorough diagnosis intake of health history. Acupuncture will generally make a measurable shift in headache frequency and intensity after only 1-2 treatments. In general, a full course of treatment for headaches is 4-6 sessions at 1 week apart.
Acupuncture is not only effective for migraine headaches, but also provides rapid relief with tension headaches, cluster headaches, post-traumatic headaches, sinus headaches, high blood pressure headaches or sleeping disorders. The greatest advantage of acupuncture over Western medicine is that it simply spurs the body into a better state of homeostasis – nothing is added or taken from the body. Some Western medications can have serious side effects and can (in some instances) actually lead to patients experiencing a “rebound” headache. Unlike synthetic drugs, acupuncture has virtually no side effects, and the procedures for treating headaches are generally quite enjoyable. In summary, acupuncture is very effective for the treatment of headaches and much safer than other methods of treatment.
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