Acupuncture: a holistic approach to treating migraines

Migraine is known as the second leading cause of disability in the world (1). A type of headache that is typically characterized by a throbbing and pulsating sensation (1). This pain is often localized to one side of the head and migraine attacks can last from 4 to 72 hours (1,2). The prevalence of individuals suffering from migraines continuously increases every year (1). Yet, current treatments for migraines are often limited to acute therapies such as over-the-counter painkillers (1). While these treatments can be effective in reducing severity and frequency of migraine attacks, they are associated with other adverse effects (1).

In recent years, many have begun to explore alternative treatments such as acupuncture to treat their migraines. Similarly, between 2000 and 2020, there has been an increase in the number of publications specifically looking at using acupuncture to treat migraines (1).

Acupuncture is a technique originated from Chinese medicine which involve  “needling of specific points of the body” with the goal to return equilibrium back to the body(2). Many acupuncturists have since transformed these techniques to treat neurophysiology conditions (2). In the US, it has been reported that 9.9% of acupuncture patients have utilized acupuncture to treat their migraines (2). After 3 to 4 months of receiving regular acupuncture treatment, patients reported an improvement in headache frequency and headache days (2).

At our clinic, our acupuncturist Zach Olesinski utilizes Japanese-style acupuncture in his practice. In comparison to traditional techniques, Japanese-style acupuncture is more gentle and uses fewer needle points while still achieving the same therapeutic effectiveness.

If you have been looking to try acupuncture, the time is now. Let us be a part of your health journey.

References:

1.     Zhao, T., Guo, J., Song, Y., Chen, H., Sun, M., et al. (2021). A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends of Acupuncture Therapy in the Treatment of Migraine from 2000 to 2020. J Pain Res. 14: 1399-1414.

2.     Linde, K., Allais, G., Brinkhaus, B., Manheimer, E. et al. (2011). Acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 21:CD001218.