There is a lot of controversy over the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture and its effects on migraine headache. According to some doctors, acupuncture is not a realistic treatment option for this condition. However, according to some studies, results of this procedure indicate benefit for migraine sufferers.
ACUPUNCTURE STUDY
According to a recent Canadian study, acupuncture helps reduce days with migraines and may have lasting effects. In the study, almost 500 adults were treated with either traditional Chinese acupuncture or a sham treatment in which acupuncture needles were inserted in nonspecific points. Participants did not know which type of acupuncture treatment they were receiving during the four-week study. Before the study began, most participants suffered monthly migraines, on average six days of migraines a month. After completing the study, all of the participants, including those in the sham group, reported fewer days with migraines than before the study began; they reported migraines on an average of three days in the month. In the month following the treatment, all of the participants also reported improvements in the frequency and intensity of migraines.
However, the proof of the pudding came three months after the study was completed. At this time, lasting effects were seen only in study participants who received traditional acupuncture. These people who received traditional Chinese acupuncture continued to report a reduction in migraine days, frequency, and intensity. The participants who received the sham treatment did not.
Even though the study showed only a marginal benefit of real acupuncture over the sham version, previous research indicates that people who respond best to acupuncture treatments are those who have not been helped by other treatments and those who have had past positive experiences with acupuncture. In other words, not everyone responds well to acupuncture. Like any other treatment, acupuncture has to be tried before knowing whether or not it is a treatment option for you.
As the study showed, even in sham acupuncture, the simple insertion of needles into the skin, regardless of the exact points of insertion, can lead to fewer migraines and reduced pain. But if it is done according to the Chinese method, the result may be more effective.
OTHER STUDIES
One study of 300 people indicated that acupuncture is more effective than no acupuncture in the treatment of migraines. Another study of nearly 800 people showed that 11 acupuncture treatments over six weeks were as effective as the blood pressure drugs called beta-blockers, often used for migraine prevention, taken daily for six months. Personally, if I can keep from taking drugs with all their side effects, I count my blessings. I would choose the acupuncture with no side effects.
Although doctors are still suspicious of acupuncture and its benefits for migraine patients, it is worth trying. Doctors don’t know everything. Many cultures, before conventional medicine, have had their own successful remedies for many conditions and diseases still around today. They often use natural ingredients than the chemicals from laboratories. Also, many patients report how acupuncture has helped them relieve migraine symptoms. Therefore, give it a try before passing judgment. It may be just the treatment for you.
Tags: Acupuncture, Alternative treatment, chiropractic care, herbal supplemetns, migraine treatment, Migraines, natural alternative, therapy
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