Acupuncture for migraines does work. In fact, it’s highly effective. A growing number of Western physicians have been referring patients to acupuncturists as a form of integrative therapy. Whether acupuncture is done in conjunction with Western medical treatments or as a treatment on its own, research has shown:

• Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain published a study revealing acupuncture improved migraines, not only during a migraine episode, but also over a long-term period of time.

The study’s author wrote, “Data showed improvement greater than 33% for 69% of patients at post-treatment and 58% of patients at 3-year follow-up. Drug intake was reduced to 50% and did not re-increase until follow-up.”

• Web MD cited research published in the British Medical Journal, where 401 adults suffering from migraines were placed into either a group that received 12 acupuncture sessions during a three month period in addition to standard medical care or a group that received standard medical care only. One year after the study ended, those who received acupuncture had 22 fewer headaches, used 15-percent less medication, made 25-percent fewer doctor visits, and took 15-percent less sick days than the control group.

“Researchers found that compared with standard medical care, acupuncture offered substantial benefits in preventing headaches and improving quality of life for people who suffer from frequent headaches, especially migraines,” said the author.

• Acupuncture Today reported on a study with results published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Half of the subjects received acupuncture while the other half took courses of different prescription migraine medications. The group that received acupuncture experienced substantially fewer symptoms without aura than any of the pharmacological treatments.

According to the author, the study revealed that patients who received acupuncture, “experienced fewer migraine episodes, missed fewer days from work, and suffered no side effects compared to patients on conventional drug therapy. They also found acupuncture to be more cost-efficient.”
The positive results continue to be unmasked by research. These are only a few of the many studies that have concluded that acupuncture for migraines is effective. Acupuncture is an all-natural, safe way to experience long lasting relief.