Acupuncture is particularly effective for pain symptoms, including migraines. This is evident, among other things, from a major study in 2016, which included an overview of 22 clinical studies with a total of 4,985 participants. The results are impressive: 59% of participants reduced the frequency of migraine attacks by more than 50%.
Many people suffer from migraines
Migraine is a serious neurological disorder that affects many people. According to data from a medical center In the Netherlands, around 2 million people suffer from migraines. Around 70,000 people even have daily complaints.
Migraines are not just a headache. An attack can last for days and often has major consequences for work, social activities and overall quality of life.
Acupuncture compared to medication
The same study concludes that acupuncture is at least as effective as pain medication. What is even more striking is that the effects were measured six months after the treatment. This means that people experience seizures less frequently in the longer term and therefore need less medication or additional therapy.
The effect of acupuncture therefore seems to be building up. This is an important difference with medication, which often only works as long as it is taken.
When you look at the starting point of acupuncture, this difference is easily explained. Acupuncture is aimed at improving the functioning of the entire body. The most important distinction with medication is that acupuncture has no significant side effects.
High evidence of migraine effectiveness
The type of research that has been carried out is of a high level. This is a comparison of several randomized trials. Not all studies are equivalent. Animal studies are often used to investigate mechanisms of action. Case reports show that there are effects in humans. Clinical trials make it possible to compare treatments well with standard care.
In randomized trials, participants are randomly assigned so that placebo effects are excluded as much as possible. The fact that this analysis was carried out by a renowned research organization makes the results extra reliable.
The benefits of acupuncture in our health care
When you consider that many migraine medications only show improvement rates of a few percent, it becomes clear how extraordinary the results of acupuncture are. Acupuncture is a safe and effective way to reduce migraine attacks, without the side effects that often occur with medication.
Because acupuncture goes beyond pain relief and supports the body as a whole, it makes sense to give this treatment method a permanent place within a broader health approach. It is time that acupuncture was also recommended in regular care as an option for migraines, so that people can make an informed choice for themselves.
Cause of migraines, stress?
Although there is debate about the exact cause of migraines, many people with migraines indicate that stress plays an important role. In addition, there is a clear relationship between migraines and the contraction and expansion of blood vessels in the head. In Chinese medicine, this is seen as a form of internal stress.
What is also striking in practice is that many people with migraines are very tired. It may be precisely this exhaustion, often as a result of prolonged stress, that contributes to the development of migraines. This is in line with a common pattern where the body has too little energy and relatively too much activity rises to the head.
Acupuncture focuses precisely on these types of patterns and can therefore reduce both the frequency and intensity of migraines.
Read more
- Research into acupuncture for migraines (Cochrane)
- Headaches and migraines treatment with acupuncture
- Stress treatment with acupuncture
