Tension headaches are a common issue, especially in modern times with our increased time at desks and in front of screens. Frequent headaches can cause considerable discomfort and disruption to daily life.
Pain relief medications might help for the headache you have, but won’t help prevent or reduce frequency of future headaches. Many will look for alternatives to medication, seeking more long lasting relief in treatments such as acupuncture. Some may be hesitant to try without knowing the research behind acupuncture for headaches.
This post summarises a systematic review (highest level of evidence) done on “Acupuncture For The Prevention Of Tension-Type Headache” published by the Cochrane Library who set the standards for evidence-based medicine.
Acupuncture For Tension Headaches Key Findings
After careful analysis of twelve trials involving 2349 participants, researchers drew several noteworthy conclusions:
Acupuncture compared to routine care
Two large trials compared acupuncture with routine care or treatment of acute headaches only. Despite differences in baseline headache frequency and management approaches, both trials showed a significant reduction in headache frequency among participants receiving acupuncture, with 48% and 45% of participants experiencing a 50% or more reduction in headache frequency, compared with 19% and 4% in non-acupuncture groups.
Acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture
In seven trials, acupuncture was compared with sham acupuncture (where needles are inserted at incorrect points or don’t penetrate the skin), revealing a modest yet consistent advantage for true acupuncture in reducing headache frequency.
Acupuncture compared with other interventions
When compared with physiotherapy, massage, or exercise, acupuncture was not significantly superior to comparisons. However, the findings in these trials were less robust due to inadequate reporting.
Implications and Future Directions
While the available data suggests that acupuncture to be a promising prophylactic treatment for tension-type headaches, more research is needed to strengthen this conclusion, particularly those comparing acupuncture with other treatment modalities.
In conclusion, acupuncture for headache management appears to be worth exploring. This comprehensive review underscores its potential effectiveness, paving the way for future research endeavors.
If you would like to try acupuncture for headaches in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, consider Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Sydney. Servicing areas such as Bondi Junction, Bondi Beach, Coogee, Clovelly, Bronte, Waverly, Randwick, Maroubra, Double Bay, Watson's Bay, Vaucluse and surrounding Sydney suburbs. You can book online here or reach out with any questions here.
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