Acupuncture for Migraine Headaches

One of the most common questions I get from patients inquiring about the acupuncture clinic I run is whether acupuncture can help people who are suffering from the debilitating pain of migraine headaches. The answer is yes. Acupuncture can be a very effective tool in the struggle to decrease the frequency and severity of migraine headaches, and in many patients can extinguish the migraine headaches all together. I certainly recommend it as a complementary therapy for the treatment of these monster headaches. However, please note that I said that I recommend acupuncture as a complementary therapy, not as an alternative therapy. Migraine headaches are serious business, medically, and sufferers should be under the care of their general practitioner, as well as a neurologist, to help them explore and treat their migraine headache syndrome. Having said that, however, acupuncture can be an extremely effective adjunct therapy for the management of the pain or migraine headaches.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that was developed in China at least 3,000 years ago, and may date back as many as 5,000 years. A word made up of the roots “acus” meaning needle, and “puncture” meaning the piercing of the skin, acupuncture literally translates to “puncture with needles.” By placing hair-fine needles into the skin at strategic points in the body known as “acupuncture points,” acupuncture can help to promote healing, alleviate pain, calm spasms and ticking, bolster the immune system, and generally encourage good health in myriad ways.