Acupuncture Can Reduce The Severity & Frequency of Migraine Headaches.

Andy Green

A recent review of 22 trials that investigated whether acupuncture is effective for the prevention of migraine attacks revealed that patients who received acupuncture had fewer headaches than those given basic care.

When acupuncture was compared to proven drug treatment, patients receiving acupuncture tended to report more improvement and fewer side effects. Overall, migraine patients benefited from acupuncture, and it was at least as effective as, or possibly more effective than, drug treatment, with fewer adverse effects.

From a biomedical perspective, acupuncture can help in the treatment of migraine by:

• Providing pain relief – by stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, acupuncture leads to release of pain killing endorphins and changes the processing of pain signals in the brain and spinal cord.
• Reducing inflammation – by promoting release of various biochemical substances.
• Increasing blood flow in and around the brain.
• Affecting the brain levels of a chemical called serotonin, which has various functions, including control of appetite and mood.

For more information and summaries of the available research click here.