In addition to back pain and sciatic, the six-month-long acupuncture treatment for migraines seems to be effective, and it has the research to back it up.
What is migraine?
Migraine is a type of intense throbbing headache, which can be unilateral or bilateral, and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.
It is a pathology that is increasing in today’s society, affecting and interfering with daily activities and negatively affecting the quality of life of those who suffer from it, since the migraine attack can last for hours or days.
Migraine headaches can be hereditary and occur more frequently in women than in men.
Sometimes, migraine can be with aura, that is to say, it is preceded by some symptoms prior to the pain. The most common are bright flashes in the center of the visual field and a tingling sensation in the hands or face.
The WHO has endorsed acupuncture as a promising treatment for headache since 1979.
Does acupuncture help headache pain?
Acupuncture is a tool used more than 2000 years ago in Asia to treat headache and migraine headaches.
Acupuncture has a regulating effect on the nervous, endocrine and limbic system (in charge of regulating emotions).
Today, several clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of acupuncture in relieving headaches and it is often recommended by health professionals as a natural method with no side effects on health.
The number of sessions recommended depends on the type of migraine and the person to be treated. These should be at least 6 sessions.
How is acupuncture applied for migraines?
Acupuncture seeks to restore the body’s positive energy flow and eliminate the negative energy that causes pain. Various body systems are stimulated that can trigger a healing response.
The body must be divided into a series of zones and pressure points. Acupuncture is applied with special disposable needles that are inserted into the different pressure points and at the precise depth, depending on the symptoms and with their tip close to the nerves. This causes the nerve to be stimulated and release hormones such as endorphins, which trigger a response from the body. The stimulation of the immune and circulatory systems is what relieves migraines and tension headaches, according to acupuncture experts.
Study facts
The available evidence suggests that a course of acupuncture consisting of at least six treatment sessions may be a valuable option for migraine patients.
Patients with migraine present with repeated attacks of severe headache, usually on one side and often with vomiting.
Acupuncture is a treatment in which fine needles are inserted into the skin at specific points. It originated in China and is now used in many countries to treat migraine patients.
22 trials involving 4,985 patients, published up to January 2016, were reviewed. Five trials were omitted from the original review because they included patients who had presented with migraine for less than 12 months. Five new trials were included in this update.
In four trials, acupuncture added to usual care or migraine treatment alone at baseline (usually with analgesics) resulted in headache frequency being reduced by at least half in 41 of 100 patients, compared with 17 of 100 patients given usual care alone.
How many acupuncture sessions are necessary for migraine?
From the various tests carried out, and based on the experience of the people treated at our center, we can indicate (although always as a guide, as it depends on the person and the type of imbalance that causes the pain), that more than 50% of users experience a significant reduction in symptoms between 3 and 6 acupuncture sessions.
