Can Acupuncture Help with Tension and Migraine Headaches?

The short answer is YES - acupuncture reduces or eliminates tension-type and migraine headache pain. It's not a guarantee that it will work for every person, but it is certainly a viable alternative to consider.

If you suffer from frequent migraines or recurring headaches, research shows that acupuncture is a safe, non-pharmacologic treatment option for reducing the frequency and severity of your symptoms. Acupuncture treatments address the contributing factors such as neck and upper back muscle tension, stress and anxiety, hormonal imbalances, environmental influences, and sleep issues.

What the Research Says About Acupuncture for Tension and Migraines Headaches

Research supports acupuncture as a treatment for recurrent headaches, particularly migraine and tension-type headache.

Headaches and migraines involve complex interactions between the brain, the nervous system, the endocrine system, muscles, blood vessels, and other systems involved in regulating pain. The research articulates how acupuncture influences these systems to increase coherence and therefore better health.

Clinical trials and systematic reviews - the gold standard of research - suggest that acupuncture is as effective as conventional preventive medications, but with fewer side effects. That is why it is recognized as a drug-free option by the National Institute for Health (NIH), and the American Migraine Foundation, among others.

What to Expect from a Course of Treatment for Tension and Migraine Headaches

Research generally evaluates acupuncture as a series of treatments rather than a one-time treatment. The evidence suggests that a course of an average of six treatments can be beneficial in reducing headache frequency and severity. The relief can last 6 months or longer, with maintenance visits recommended, as needed.

At Mountaintop Acupuncture, treatment is individualized rather than based on a single headache protocol. Your treatment may address the location and characteristics of your headache as well as contributing factors such as neck and shoulder tension, stress and anxiety, sleep, digestion, hormonal changes, and your overall pattern of health.

To be clear, while the research findings are positive, individual results vary. Some people reports substantial long term relief and reduced reliance on medications, but others, whose triggering factor cannot be addressed by needling, do not.

Acupuncture is not a substitute for medical evaluation of a new, severe, or unusual headache. Sudden severe headache, new neurological symptoms, confusion, fever with neck stiffness, or a significant change in an established headache pattern should be medically evaluated.