?And Is Effective in Helping Recurring Headache

Researchers have discovered that acupuncture combined with traditional treatment can be a beneficial way to treat chronic headache or migraine. The study involved chronic headache patients, most of whom had migraine, in England and Wales. Of the 301 participants, 161 patients received 12 acupuncture treatments over 3 months in conjunction with standard care. The remaining 140 patients only received standard care.

The year-long study showed that acupuncture, when combined with standard treatment, can decrease the severity and lower the occurrence of headache. Specifically, the patients receiving acupuncture took 15% less medication, made 25% fewer visits to their primary care physicians, and took 15% less sick days. (The findings were reported recently in the British Medical Journal.)