Acupuncture for Headaches Found to be more Cost-Effective than Conventional Drug Treatments
Published: November 16, 2011 Last Updated: January 21, 2024
Acupuncture has been shown through numerous studies and independent reviews to have a positive effect on reducing the frequency of headaches, severity of headaches and has resulted in less use of conventional pain relief medications. In fact, research published in the March 15 issue of the British Medical Journal , found that when compared to a control group using conventional care, after a year of treatment the researchers found the group using acupuncture for headache care reported:
- Experienced 22 fewer days with headaches
- Used 15% less medication
- Made 25"% fewer visits to their doctor
- Took 15% fewer days off sick from work
Nearly all of us will suffer from headaches at some stage of our lives. At any time, 1 in 7 Australians will be suffering from a headache. For some of us, headaches can range from simply annoying mild tension headaches to completely debilitating migraines or cluster headaches. For many headache suffers this can mean days spent off work in darkened isolation and missing out of life's important events.
Clinically evidence supports acupuncture for headache treatment
Linde and his colleagues (Cochrane Library, www.cochrane.org) found that 47% of patients who received acupuncture reported a decrease in the number of headache days by at least half, compared to only 16% of patients in the control group. Overall, the research found that acupuncture was a cost-effective headache and migraine treatment when used instead of mainstream drug therapy. Acupuncture for headaches was also found to provide additional benefits when used in conjunction with mainstream drug therapy.
It makes sense that if you are someone who experiences recurring ;or severe headaches, you would try almost anything to regain a resemblance of a normal life. You may be interested in trying acupuncture for headaches treatment as an alternative to the traditional pain relief and drug therapies available.
Choose the right acupuncture professional for you?
For those people who haven't used acupuncture as a headache treatment before its a good idea to do a bit of personal research to gain an understanding of acupuncture methodology, so you'll feel comfortable choosing an acupuncture practitioner and discussing treatment.
The good news is that acupuncture is drug-free, safe and a relatively non-invasive procedure.
Here are a few tips that might help you choose the right acupuncture professional for you:
- Get a referral from a friend or family member: The first step is to ask family or friends you trust who have received acupuncture treatment for advice and a referral. Ask them all sorts of questions that will make you feel your a getting the best treatment possible is the most important step in finding a natural headache cure or natural headache treatment.
- Find a reliable acupuncture professional. Check their credentials. Have they been accepted as a member of a recognised association?
- Be consistent with your acupuncture treatments. Commit to follow-up on your treatments. Remember acupuncture is not only an effective headache treatment, it is important for continued treatment even after the relief from headaches for a preventative head ache treatment, and overall health and well being.
Find out more about acupuncture for headaches .
