It’s Official, Acupuncture Can Relieve Your Headaches

Headaches suck.  The pounding and pressure really can be very severe and greatly impact your life.

But, there is hope, acupuncture can help by relieving the pain from many types of chronic headaches including migraines, tension headaches, and sinus headaches.  And recently, the research is supporting this idea.

The Metanalysis on Acupuncture for Headaches

A recent metanalysis of 31 studies, in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia, showed that acupuncture was more effective than both medication and placebo acupuncture.  For those who do not know, a metanalysis is a more definitive study which examines many many previously performed studies.  The studies showed that acupuncture was stronger than placebo acupuncture for reducing headaches, and even stronger than medication for reducing headache frequency, intensity, and overall physical function.

How does acupuncture work to treat headaches?

The body is amazing at healing itself.  And if everything is working well there is no need for help, your headaches will not become chronic.

When there is an imbalance, it can cause long term illnesses and pain.  Acupuncture and Chinese medicine work by correcting these imbalances in the body.  Once the imbalance is corrected, the body can then works to heal itself.  Each person’s imbalance is different and the diagnosis must be based on your specific symptoms.

What are the most common imbalances that cause headaches?

When comes to headaches, the imbalance is often rooted in the circulation or production of the body’s energy, qi.

Qi circulates in the body. When there is stress, trauma, or other illness, the qi circulation can slow down and become stagnated. Someone with qi stagnation will have headaches that are intense, worse with stress, neck pain, ribside pain, possible insomnia, and digestive problems.

Another imbalance can be too little energy, or what is called qi deficiency.  If there is too little energy, then people will feel tired, get bloated after they eat, and have a weak pulse.

What is treatment like?

An effective acupuncture treatment is based upon a an accurate diagnosis of the imbalance.  Acupuncturists will ask in depth questions, take your pulse, and look at your tongue to make the correct diagnosis.

I prefer to use only few needles because I target the precise cause to achieve powerful results.  In addition, I will combine acupressure, Chinese medicine massage, with the acupuncture to create greater results and a stronger sense of relaxation.  Usually people will feel relief after only a few weekly visits.