Some people may find that it's an effective addition to standard treatment.
Colleen Stinchcombe is a health, environment, and outdoor recreation writer based near Seattle, WA. In addition to Health, her work has been published by SELF, Outside Online, Sierra Magazine, Lonely Planet, and several others. When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably running, hiking, biking, gardening, or otherwise finding a way to sweat outside. Acupuncture Needles
Research has shown that acupuncture might be effective for migraines and headache relief. This type of alternative medicine, part of traditional Chinese medicine, involves inserting thin needles into the body. Western medicine has incorporated acupuncture into the treatment of several health conditions, including chronic pain, since the 1970s.
Acupuncture might complement other migraine treatments to reduce the frequency and duration of flares. Read on to learn about the benefits and risks of acupuncture for migraines, as well as tips to keep in mind.
Research has found that acupuncture may be an effective complementary and alternative treatment for migraines. There are a number of smaller studies and a few decent-sized reviews that speak to its value.
A review published in 2019 looked at seven clinical trials with a total of 1,430 participants. The researchers compared acupuncture to standard pharmacological treatments for migraine. The clinical trials suggested that acupuncture might be more effective than standard migraine treatment.
Still, it's not possible to look at all of their results as a whole since their methods of testing were so different from each other. Experts say that more large-scale studies—in which researchers compare acupuncture to traditional treatments—are needed to verify acupuncture's efficacy.
People commonly use acupuncture to alleviate pain and reduce migraine frequency. Acupuncture might be an effective alternative to or complement traditional treatments.
It can take a while for any migraine treatment to work, and not all of them will. Keep in mind that acupuncture might work for some people but not for others.
Acupuncture might have better outcomes than other treatments. Some of the most common migraine medications may cause side effects like abdominal pain, chest tightness, diarrhea, and fatigue. In contrast, acupuncture rarely causes severe complications.
Acupuncture might reduce pain and the duration of migraine attacks. The acupuncturist inserts thin needles into the skin, stimulating your central nervous system. As a result, your body releases endorphins, which is a "feel-good" hormone.
Migraines typically last about four to 72 hours. In contrast, some evidence suggests that acupuncture may reduce migraine intensity within two hours. Still, more research is needed to know how quickly acupuncture works.
There's no cure for chronic migraines. Still, some evidence suggests that acupuncture might prevent flares. A review published in 2016 found that headache frequency reduced by 50% after six months in more than half of people who received acupuncture.
Another study published in 2020 split 148 people with episodic migraines into two groups. The first group was treated with 12 sessions of acupuncture, and the second with medication. The researchers found that both groups saw similar reductions in migraine frequency after four months.
Acupuncture is generally safe for most people if you visit a board-certified, skilled healthcare provider. You might feel some soreness or have mild bleeding and bruising. There's also a possible infection risk since acupuncture pierces your skin. Still, standard practice involves single-use, disposable needles, which reduces the risk of infection.
You might need to avoid acupuncture if you:
Some evidence suggests that acupuncture may be unsafe during pregnancy. Studies have shown that the treatment may cause bleeding and pain. Still, more research is needed. Talk to a healthcare provider if you are pregnant and considering acupuncture.
Acupuncture is not a singular medical practice but part of a larger mode of treatment, Robert Cowan, MD, a clinical professor of neurology and neurological sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine, told Health. There are several types of needle placement and manipulation that often depend on what you are treating.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you get acupuncture:
Acupuncture involves inserting needles at certain locations on the body and moving them in certain ways to treat health conditions. This type of alternative medicine might effectively reduce the frequency and duration of migraines. Still, more research is needed to understand its effectiveness completely.
Talk to a healthcare provider before trying acupuncture for migraines. They might advise using acupuncture in addition to your other migraine treatments. You might need to avoid acupuncture if you have certain health conditions, so it's important to confer with a healthcare provider and board-certified acupuncturist to determine what treatment is best for you.
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