September 2, 2008 – Acupuncture helps relieve chronic headaches, according to a large German study. Researchers conducted a clinical trial1 in approximately 15,000 subjects suffering from chronic headaches (migraine or tension headache) for at least one year.
According to the results, the frequency of headaches was reduced by 44% in subjects who received acupuncture treatments in addition to conventional medication. This proportion was 7.4% among those who took only the drug.
The data also indicate that the acupuncture treatment would have had the effect of reducing the intensity of the pain, unlike taking the drug without treatment. A reduction of the same magnitude was observed in those who received these treatments after three months of waiting.
All subjects received standard pharmacological treatment for the headache. More than 3,000 of them were randomly registered for acupuncture sessions over a three-month period or on a waiting list. The 11,874 other subjects had refused to run the risk of having their acupuncture treatment delayed for three months and were therefore treated automatically by an acupuncturist.
Despite significant results, the absence of a placebo in the trial protocol prevents confirmation of the value of the traditional Chinese theory behind acupuncture treatment. However, Italian researchers have come to the conclusion that acupuncture is more effective than a placebo treatment in treating migraine.2.
Stress causing chronic headache? According to a study3 carried out with around 700 patients, the onset of chronic headache is generally associated with stressful events that have occurred during the previous months: moving, change of job, problems at work, marital conflicts, difficulties with children, loss of ‘a loved one, etc. People 40 and older are more likely than younger people to suffer from chronic headaches as a result of severe stress. Experts estimate that 3% to 5% of the adult population suffers from chronic headaches (15 times per month or more). |
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to Reuters Health.
1. Jena S, Witt C, et al. Acupuncture in patients with headache. Cephalalgia. 2008 Sep 2.
2. On this subject, see the new Acupuncture and Migraines: more than a placebo effect.
3. Scher AI, Stewart WF, et al. Major life changes before and after the onset of chronic daily headache: a population-based study. Cephalalgia. 2008 Aug; 28 (8): 868-76.