Can Does Acupuncture Help To Treat Migraines?

It’s not for everyone, certainly some people view it as a pseudo-science, but for others acupuncture could be a good complementary treatment to use as part of a larger migraine management plan.

Young woman getting acupuncture treatment

Here’s why acupuncture could help migraineurs:

There’s scientific evidence of its efficacy

A systematic review of acupuncture for use as a migraine treatment was undertaken in 2016. The study involved 4,985 participants in 22 randomised controlled trials, making it one of the most thorough reviews of acupuncture as a migraine treatment conducted thus far. It was found that adding acupuncture to symptomatic treatment of migraines reduced the frequency of migraines. It was concluded that acupuncture can be considered as a viable option for migraine treatment.

It’s safe

The risk of a serious adverse reaction to acupuncture is less than 1 in 10,000.

There are few side effects associated with acupuncture

Minor side effects include dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, and some bruising/bleeding around needle points.

It’s recommended by NICE

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that migraine sufferers be offered a course of up to ten sessions as a preventative treatment of migraines, if topiramate or propranolol don’t prove very effective.

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