Headaches are one of the most commonly reported uses for acupuncture. Acupuncture, literally meaning "puncture with a needle," has been used for centuries throughout Asia, and now more commonly in Western civilization, to help reduce headaches. In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture regulates the flow of qi--vital energy--through the body, and today's Western researchers are testing its effect on pain and headaches.
History
Acupuncture has been in effect for 2,500 years, developing and accumulating knowledge. Practitioners use needles to stimulate pressure points near the skin's surface. Originally, acupuncture came from China, spreading outwards to Japan, Korea and elsewhere in Asia. Today acupuncture is widely used and recognized in these countries. Although acupuncture was first introduced in Europe in the early seventeenth century, people remain widely unconvinced regarding whether it is therapeutic or whether the power of suggestion--the placebo effect--causes beneficial results.
Theory
The theory behind Oriental medicine is that a life energy flows through your body. This energy is called qi (pronounced chee), and it flows through channels through the body, connecting each and every one of the major organs. According to traditional Oriental medicine, illness and pain are caused when a body's qi is disturbed. Acupuncture is needed to balance the body's qi. Acupuncture is effective based on stimulating specific points near the skin's surface.
Pain
Pain is triggered in the nervous system. Whether dull or sharp, steady or on-and-off, pain is a signal that something else is going on in your body and needs attention. Studies have found an array of answers about whether acupuncture works to relieve headaches. Different studies use different acupuncture techniques, for example, electrical versus manual, as well as different comparison groups.
Research
According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture has performed favorably in research trials compared with placebo, standard therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), suggesting that acupuncture could play an important role in treating headaches and migraines. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) says that studies have shown both positive and inconclusive results. They noted that most studies have been of poor quality, with few randomized, well-designed trials. According to the NCCAM, however, a 2009 review found that acupuncture may help to relieve tension headaches.
Techniques
While traditionally acupuncturists have used 400 or more motor points, modern acupuncturists now use a smaller set of points. These motor points are chosen for their proximity to the source of pain. The type of acupuncture technique chosen for alleviating the pain is up to the patient. These techniques range from the modern method of electro-acupuncture to the ancient moxibustion. Electro-acupuncture uses small electrical currents in place of needles, and has been found to be effective. This acupuncture technique uses a pen-like device to release a warm sensation into the area it is applied to, applying very low levels of an electric current to specific motor points. However, too strong a stimulus can intensify pain. Laser acupuncture is a technique that uses low-intensity laser beams to replace the use of needles. Traditional acupuncturists may use moxibustion, which is an acupuncture technique similar to heat therapy. Most commonly, acupuncture needles are inserted deep into the muscle in order to achieve beneficial effects that will continue long after the treatments are over.
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