Acupuncture vs. Headaches
December 4, 2008 Written by JP
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Poking Away the Pain
We all get an occasional headache. But for some people, headaches are a regular part of life. And while taking pain relievers every once in awhile may be reasonably safe, taking them on a long-term basis may not be.
Recently, Duke University published a review of thirty-one studies that examined the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of chronic headaches. Their results could very well change the way that many people cope with this painful condition.
Before we go any further, I’d like to briefly explain exactly what acupuncture is. Acupuncture is a technique whereby very fine needles are placed in specific spots on your body. Practitioners of acupuncture believe that certain points on your body correlate to particular health conditions and symptoms.
In the Duke University review, most of the studies compared real acupuncture against “sham” acupuncture. In other words, some people in these studies had needles placed in real acupuncture points that have been traditionally used to treat headaches. Another group of people also had needles applied to them, but in areas of the body that had no traditional association with headache treatment. The review also compared the effects of acupuncture versus medication therapy.
The results of the review revealed the following important findings:
+ 62% of acupuncture patients found an improvement in headache relief vs. only 45% of those taking medications. The patients who received acupuncture also reported “better physical well-being”.
+ More patients benefited from real acupuncture as opposed to “sham” acupuncture. But get this! Even those receiving sham acupuncture found positive results 45% of the time.
+ Only 5 or 6 acupuncture treatments were required for most patients to start seeing an improvement in their headache symptoms.
According to the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Tong Joo Gan, “Acupuncture is becoming a favorable option … because people experience significantly fewer side effects and it can be less expensive than other options.”
So now you know. There’s an affordable, more effective, safer option to medication for chronic headache pain. Let’s spread the word!
For more information, please follow this link.
Be well!
JP
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Tags: Acupuncture, Headache, Medications, Pain
Posted in Alternative Therapies
December 6th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Hey JP!
Really enjoy reading your blogs!
Couple of questions. Is acupuncture painful?
Does it take getting used to? Can it be
covered by health insurance?
Thank you!
December 6th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Ali,
Acupuncture is generally not very painful. The reason for this is because the needles they use are very fine. Much finer than syringe needles.
I think most people get used to it pretty quickly. Once you realize it’s not going to hurt, you start to relax and become more comfortable.
Some insurance providers do cover acupuncture under certain circumstances. If you want to know if your health insurance covers acupuncture, give them a call or visit their web site. You should be able to find out for sure that way.
Be well!
JP
December 13th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Acupuncture is a great alternative for headaches and many other conditions
December 14th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
JP,
Good pragmatic advice!
Thank you
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I personally find that acupuncture works wonderfully well for headaches. I typically combine acupuncture and massage techniques together when doing treatments for double the benefit.
With regards to pain, if you are really sensitive, insist on seirin or asia med needles. They are extra thin and silicone lubricated and are practically ouchless. Hope that helps.
July 4th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
That’s excellent information to know, Ken. Thank you for sharing it.
Be well!
JP