According to a study done in China, acupuncture relieves migraines in some people. This study was published in the journal, Headache in 2009.
Originally, the study involved 218 patients suffering from migraines from admitted to several hospitals in Sichuan, China. Unfortunately, 14 of these were fearful of needles and therefore chose not to participate.
The remaining 75 patients were divided into three groups. One group was given a single session of acupuncture at specified points for treatment of migraines. The other two groups were given a single session of acupuncture at other areas of the body. Pain measurements were taken before treatment and over several hours following treatment.
Within the first few hours following treatment, all groups experienced significant reduction in pain. The first group had the greatest pain relief, as measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS).
Within 24 hours after the treatment, 41% of the first group obtained complete migraine pain relief , in comparison with only 17% of the second control group and 16% of the third group.
For people who are not afraid of needles, it can be concluded from this study that those suffering from migraines may benefit from immediate treatment with acupuncture.
Tags: Acupuncture, acupuncture and migraines, body, China and migraines, journal headache, migraine pain relief, Pain, scale, sichuan china, third group, treatment, visual analogue scale