How Effective is Acupuncture for Migraines?

Acupuncture is an ancient form of treatment for chronic conditions developed by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which is becoming increasingly accepted by the West. Treatment is done by the placement of fine needles in carefully selected points in the body intended to restore the balance of yin and yang and realign the flow of chi or vital energy along the body's paths.

Migraines are particularly severe headaches. They are experienced by tens of millions of people, last from a few minutes to days and can be triggered by allergens, diet, stress, changes in the weather and other causes. The severity of the pain and other symptoms such as vision impairment can make the sufferer unable to function.

They are one of the leading causes for missing work, causing the loss of tens of billions of dollars a year due to absenteeism and medical expenses. Acupuncture has been found to be especially useful in the control and prevention of pain.

Preventing Migraines

Over the years, several studies have been conducted on using acupuncture for migraines. When people with a history of migraines were divided into a group given regular treatments of acupuncture aimed at head pain and a group treated with migraine medication, it was found that acupuncture treatments resulted in fewer missed work days with no side effects. The study's bottom line was that acupuncture for migraines is more cost-effective as well.

In one study, points were assigned to the frequency, duration and severity of migraine pain and other symptoms. This was done to quantify the effect on each patient's quality of life. Several types of medicine were used on subgroups of the patients not using acupuncture. It was found that acupuncture for migraines was significantly more effective than any of the medicines for reducing migraine symptoms. For the first six months of the study, patients receiving acupuncture for migraines showed a drop of more than 78,000 points. Patients in the other group showed a drop of fewer than 4.500 points. The ratio continued throughout an entire year of the study.

On an individual basis, the average patient receiving acupuncture for migraines experienced a drop of 80 per cent of quantifiable values while the average for an individual patient receiving medicine showed a drop of just below 46 per cent. Best of all, no side effects were reported by any of the patients receiving acupuncture for migraines. Side effects for those on medicine included nausea, diarrhea and burning sensations. Some medications also caused stuffiness in the chest and vomiting.

The difference in days lost from work and cost between acupuncture treatments and medical prescriptions was also strikingly in favor of acupuncture for migraines. While Western doctors were amazed at the outcome, acupuncture practitioners are slightly disappointed that the study was made concerning pain management when they believe that acupuncture can do much more.

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