Can Acupuncture Help with Headaches and Migraines?

People who get recurring migraines can understand how they impact their quality of life. After all, headaches make it difficult to concentrate on other tasks.

Though aspirins and painkillers can be used to relieve headaches, they rarely work well with recurring aches. Even some preventive prescription drugs are hard to tolerate and can result in unwanted side effects.

It’s why many people are turning toward alternative therapies like acupuncture for pain relief. But do they really help with headaches?

Read to find out more.

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine that started 3000 years ago in ancient China. The treatment is conducted using hair-thin needles that are inserted into specific points on the body to apply pressure. Your practitioner can heat the needles for the treatment or use electricity to make the treatment more effective.

These specific points are known to stimulate the central nervous system and release chemicals into the brain, muscles, and spinal cord.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research considers acupuncture an effective treatment for chronic headaches, musculoskeletal pain, and osteoarthritis.

Benefits of Acupuncture for Headaches

Many studies confirm that acupuncture provides relief from chronic headaches. That’s because the treatment helps:

1. Improve and increase blood circulation in the body.
2. Release pain-relieving chemicals in the body, such as endorphins.
3. Relax the muscles

Here are some ways acupuncture can help you:

Prevents Headaches and Migraines

Migraines can be debilitating. They can cause severe throbbing pain on one side of the head that is usually accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light.

Many studies conclude that acupuncture is beneficial in preventing headaches and migraines. Additionally, the procedure decreases the occurrences of headaches more effectively than prescription migraine medicines.

Has Fewer Side-Effects

A lot of drugs for headaches are hard to tolerate and can cause unpleasant side effects. In comparison, acupuncture may be a better alternative as it causes fewer negative reactions in the body.

What Does Research Say?

Various clinical studies have confirmed that acupuncture provides more effective pain relief compared to usual care. A meta-analysis was conducted in 2012 on 18,000 individual patients through randomised controlled trials of acupuncture treatments. The results demonstrated that the procedure is as good as non-opiate pain relievers for chronic lower back pain, osteoarthritis, and migraines.

New research also supports that acupuncture is great for sustainable, long-term pain relief.

If you’re experiencing chronic migraines, our experts at 5 STAR CLINIC LTD can help you out!

We are a renowned pain relief centre in Preston that offers top-of-the-line alternative treatments. Our acupuncture services in Preston, Lancashire, are provided by licensed practitioners with years of experience in managing and treating chronic pain.

You can also get other therapies from our centres, including physiotherapy, hypnotherapy, massage therapy in Preston, etc.

Contact us today to learn how we can help you.