A new study at the university of traditional Chinese medicine in Chengdu, China, found unprecedented results regarding the efficacy of acupuncture on tension-type headaches.
These headaches are often described as a feeling of tightening around the head. They usually cause mild to moderate pain, do not get worse after exercising, and do not trigger nausea, but the underlying causes are yet to be well understood. Tension-type headaches are considered the most common type of headache, and there are treatments for them, including over-the-counter painkillers, meditation, yoga, and massages.
The doctors at Chang do University looked into the benefits of acupuncture for patients with chronically diagnosed tension-type headaches. Thy are diagnosed as chronic if a patient experiences tension-type headaches at least 15 days a month for more than one month. They discovered that acupuncture can reduce the number of headaches per month by up to 50%.
The study included 218 participants. Half of them were treated with acupuncture sessions, inducing something called Deqi-, a procedure in which the needle is inserted deep enough into the skin and manipulated inside it so that the nerve endings wrap around the needle, creating a needle grasp effect resulting in a numbing or tingling sensation in the patient. The other half also underwent acupuncture treatments, but these were only superficial. The needle was not inserted deep enough into the skin to affect nerve endings or connective tissue.
All participants had in-clinic visits every four weeks and held headache diaries where they documented the number of headaches and any pain killer medications they may have taken during the month.
Acupuncture treatments for both groups were conducted 2-3 times a week over two months. In total, each participant had 20 acupuncture sessions. All participants were observed for six more months after the two-month treatment period.
68% of the people who received acupuncture reported at least a 50% improvement in the number of days per month that they experienced headaches. But the truly shocking finding of the study is that the number of monthly headaches gradually decreased after treatment for both groups almost equally - from 20 to 23 days a month to 7 to 12 days of headaches per month.
Still not sure about acupuncture? This video clarifies many myths:
You can read the study by clicking here.
Go to BabaMail
