Migraines are when the brain overreacts to sensory inputs, which triggers a surge of chemicals to be sent to the brain causing the migraine attack.

Migraine attacks are usually best described as severe throbbing or pulsating pain on one side of the head. Depending on the severity, individuals may experience nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound and can often last for hours or even days at a time. image

Unfortunately there is no current cure for migraines. Doctors often suggest pain-relieving medication and encourage better stress management, improved sleeping habits, diet modification and avoiding the migraine triggers. However, recent studies have found that Acupuncture can also effectively treat migraines.

Researchers published in the JAMA Internal Medicine conducted a study with a group of participants who frequently fall victim to migraine attacks and separated them into those who would receive true acupuncture treatment and a placebo group (sham acupuncture). The results of the study indicated that those who had received true acupuncture had decreased the frequency of migraine attacks, as well as a decrease of the onset, duration and severity of the attacks (VAS score). Similarly, the the true acupuncture group also improved on the migraine-specific quality-of-life questionnaire (MSQ score) and also improved on their self-rated anxiety scale (SAS score).

“True acupuncture exhibited persistent, superior, and clinically relevant benefits for migraine [treatment], reducing the migraine frequency, number of days with migraine, and pain intensity to a greater degree than [Sham Acupuncture]” (Zhao, et. al., 2017).

If you are seeking treatment for migraines or migraine attacks or even to improve your overall wellbeing, our practitioners in our clinic are all qualified and experienced. With four Acupuncturists and a Naturopath, we will offer you individualised and personal treatment to ensure that you reach your desired health goals.

You can book online or give us a call on 0755316461 to chat to our friendly receptionist staff to find out more.

References –

Zhao L, Chen J, Li Y, et al. The Long-term Effect of Acupuncture for Migraine Prophylaxis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(4):508–515. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.9378

About migraine. (2021). Retrieved 2 July 2021, from https://www.migraine.org.au/about_migraine