Patients who got true acupuncture had headaches reduce from 20 days to 7 days monthly, while those who got shallow acupuncture saw a reduction from 23 days to 12 days monthly.
A brand-new research study investigates whether acupuncture can minimize headaches
According to a study just recently published in Neurology, the main journal of the American Academy of Neurology, acupuncture may assist people with chronic tension-type headaches feel less pain.
The most common sign of tension-type headaches is moderate to moderately intense pressing or tightening experience on both sides of the head. Physical exercise does not make these headaches worse, and they do not included nausea. Tension-type headaches are classified as persistent when they occur at least 15 days a month.
” Tension-type headaches are among the most common types of individuals and headaches who have a great deal of these headaches might be trying to find options to medication,” said study author Ying Li, MD, Ph.D., of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chengdu, China. “Our research study found that acupuncture decreases the typical number of headache days monthly for those having problem with these unpleasant and disruptive headache attacks.”
218 individuals with a medical diagnosis of persistent tension-type headaches took part in the research study. They experienced headaches of the tension-type on average 22 days each month for an average of 11 years. True acupuncture or shallow acupuncture was offered to participants at random. Real acupuncture treatments involved producing a deqi sensation, which involved manipulating a needle and inserting into the body to achieve a tingling, numbness, or heaviness feeling. In order to prevent triggering the deqi sensation, the shallow treatments had a shallower body penetration. Both groups got two or 3 sessions a week for a total of 20 sessions throughout two months, after which they continued to be observed for another 6 months.
The main outcome determined in the study was a decrease of a minimum of 50% in the number of days with headaches. All participants had center check outs every four weeks. They likewise used headache journals to record their signs and use of severe medications.
At the end of the research study, 68% of individuals getting true acupuncture reported at least a 50% decrease in the month-to-month variety of headache days compared to 50% of the individuals who received superficial acupuncture.
Researchers discovered the variety of regular monthly headache days slowly reduced after treatment, in both those who received real acupuncture treatments and superficial acupuncture treatments. For those who received true acupuncture, headache days reduced from 20 days per month at the start of the study to 7 days each month by the end of the study. For those who got superficial acupuncture, headache days decreased from 23 days monthly at the start of the research study to 12 days each month at the end of the research study.
The only adverse effects from the treatment were mild and did not require treatment.
” While this study revealed that acupuncture can reduce headaches, more research is needed to figure out the longer-term efficiency of acupuncture and how it compares to other treatment choices,” said Li. “In comparing treatment choices, cost-effectiveness is another important element to assess.”
A constraint of the research study was that the research study was carried out in one healthcare facility, so the results might not apply to all populations.
The research study was moneyed by the Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Recommendation: “Acupuncture for Patients With Chronic Tension-Type Headache: A Randomized Controlled Trial” by Hui Zheng, Tao Gao, Qian-Hua Zheng, Ling-Yun Lu, Ting-Hui Hou, Shu-Sen Zhang, Si-Yuan Zhou, Xin-Yu Hao, Lu Wang, Ling Zhao, Fan-Rong Liang and Ying Li, 22 June 2022, Neurology.DOI: 10.1212/ WNL.0000000000200670.
When they occur at least 15 days a month, tension-type headaches are categorized as persistent.
They suffered from headaches of the tension-type on average 22 days per month for an average of 11 years. Scientists discovered the number of regular monthly headache days gradually decreased after treatment, in both those who got real acupuncture treatments and superficial acupuncture treatments. For those who received true acupuncture, headache days decreased from 20 days per month at the beginning of the research study to seven days per month by the end of the research study. For those who got superficial acupuncture, headache days decreased from 23 days per month at the beginning of the research study to 12 days per month at the end of the research study.