Is Acupuncture Good for Migraines?

Migraine headaches are debilitating, and without prescription medicine, they can be tough to manage. The more difficult a medical disease is to address, the more therapy strategies there are. This is especially true in the case of migraines. Patients and doctors are always looking for alternatives to pharmacological therapy, which may be successful in the short term but have serious long-term side effects.¹

When conventional medicine fails to relieve migraine pain, people turn to acupuncture. Acupuncture aims to re-establish the flow of energy in your body. Acupuncture stimulates various body systems, according to modern medicine. This could result in a healing response.²

Acupuncture is a type of Chinese medicine in which practitioners insert single-use stainless steel needles into specific body points. Acupuncture can be used instead of or in addition to traditional treatments.

How Does Acupuncture Work for Migraines

Our body is divided into zones and segments with acupuncture points. Depending on the symptoms, acupuncture needles are inserted into various acupuncture points. These needle points are usually located near your body’s nerves. The needle stimulates nerves, causing them to release hormones such as endorphins, which cause your body to respond. Proponents of acupuncture claim that this immune and circulatory system stimulation relieves migraines and tension headaches.³

People go to acupuncturists for a variety of reasons, including migraine relief. According to a 2016 Cochrane review, about half of those who visit an acupuncturist say they have reduced their use of painkillers after receiving treatments. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches or even prevent them altogether. Acupuncture patients who combine it with other treatments have the best chance of success.⁴

Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for a variety of illnesses, including headaches and migraines. A migraine or headache can be prevented or alleviated with the use of acupuncture. ⁵It is possible that it is more effective than pain medications available over-the-counter or therapies prescribed for migraines. Acupuncture may be able to assist to lessen the cost of managing recurrent headaches, and it may be covered by some health insurance company’s.

Migraine sufferers may be more prone to unpleasant side effects from their medicine, or they may have underlying health conditions that make standard treatments unsafe for them to take. A possible solution would be to try acupuncture.Clinical research using acupuncture for migraines indicated treatment twice per week for the first two weeks, followed by one treatment per week for the next eight weeks, and then maintenance treatments of once every other week after that. ⁶Contacting a healthcare expert as soon as possible is essential if you experience persistent migraines. Once you and your practitioner have developed a treatment plan, you can begin acupuncture.

¹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291665/

²https://www.healthline.com/health/acupuncture-how-does-it-work-scientifically

³https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326121

⁴https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/acupuncture-for-migraines#guidelines

⁵https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/understanding-migraineacupuncture-and-migraine-finding-a-combination-that-sticks/

⁶https://www.healthline.com/health/acupuncture-for-headaches#tips-and-guidelines