Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique which consists of solid and small fine sterile needles being inserted into certain points of the body, that may be left in for just a few seconds or for several minutes. Traditional Chinese acupuncturists will position the needles at various points which will help the headaches by stimulating the body’s ability to resist and overcome ailments and disorders by correcting energy disparities. Precisely, acupuncture for migraine headache treatment has been used to treat migraine headaches for thousands of years.
The utmost advantage of acupuncture for treatment of a migraine over western medicine is that it does not cause virtually any harm. Unlike imitation drugs, virtually acupuncture has no side effects and the method for treating headaches is much less disturbing. The acupuncture treatment has been recommended by the British Medical Association as an effective treatment for a headache and migraine.
Acupuncture done by traditional acupuncturist is called traditional acupuncture and when done by western health professionals is called western acupuncture. Practitioners of western acupuncture are those who work in pain clinics and have received additional training in this method of treatment. They will position the needles in certain areas determined by the condition they are treating i.e. all migraineurs are likely to have the needles placed in similar positions. If western acupuncture has not helped much, then it is still worth considering traditional acupuncture.
Acupuncture appears to be beneficial in treating a variety of health problems in addition to headaches and migraine. Acupuncture is a unique approach in which the effects of this therapy may be long-lasting.
It is recommended to make some important lifestyle changes to reduce the incidence of headaches:
- Sleep adequately (7-8 hours per day)
- Avoid physical or mental fatigue
- Avoid alcohol (especially red wine)
- Avoid caffeine
- Eliminate foods that trigger migraines: dairy, chocolate, spices, processed foods, and corn
- Avoid any triggers that cause your headaches
Some believe that acupuncture does not help in treating migraines due to the fact that the procedure involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the body, continued by gentle manual or electrical stimulation of the needles. The flow of Blood in the tissues increases when small vessels around the area of the needle widen. While increasing circulation is generally an excellent treatment for pain, but it is not beneficial in the treatment of migraines. Because the pain of a migraine may be associated with the widening of blood vessels in the head, increasing circulation in this area can worsen the patient’s symptoms
Side effects of Acupuncture:
Acupuncture is exceedingly safe if delivered by appropriately trained practitioners.
The most frequent mild side-effects are
- Around 3 % experienced minor bruising or bleeding occurring during needle withdrawal
- 1% felt worsening of existing symptoms lasting no more than two days and sometimes associated with a positive outcome.
- 3 % respondents experienced drowsiness, relaxation, or euphoria
- Some felt pain at the needling site
Severe and extremely rare side-effects include
- Puncture lung or heart membrane caused due to incorrect technique
- Transmission of blood-borne diseases like hepatitis C, this can be avoided by using single-use, sterile or disposable needles
- Skin infection (which is possible with ear acupuncture, predominantly if indwelling studs are used).