There has been some questions about accupuncture and how effective it is as far as headaches are concerned. I've referenced a site here that agrees with most of the information that I've read (non-biased studies) in the last few years.

The studies that they have done have been done comparing regular accupuncture with 'sham' accupuncture and it showed that accupuncture did not help with headaches. It also points out though, that some people DID find relief with accupuncture.
It sure does make you feel better though!!

//Woody

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 12-16-2002).]

What kind of studies did you read? Were these articles about traditional style acupuncture or plain medical acupuncture? If so, there is a big difference between the two.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (Traditional acupuncture) will diagnose or treat on a syndrome basis, where as medical acupucnturists may just use specific points that have been shown to be effective in the treatment of headache or backpain.

If you have Traditional acupuncture for the treatment of headaches, I beleive that this will be more effective, as you have a diagnosed syndrome and are being treated for this. According to TCM, many headaches and migraines are caused by either Liver Qi Stagnation, Liver Yang Rising and stagnation in the Gallbladder Meridian.

In treatment, an acupuncturist would normally do what is known as a 'root' and 'branch' treatment. The root would treat the cause of the headaches, being the Liver Qi Stagnation and whatever else was occuring in a supportive way. A lot of people with Liver Qi Stagnation also have excess heat within the body, so points such as Liver 3 and Large Intestine 4 would be used to promote the smooth flow of Liver Qi around the body and also to release heat from the body. If a person also had a headache/migraine at the time of the treatment, then local points such as Gallbladder 20 and 21, and other Liver/Gallbladder points at the site of the headache would also be used to relieve it. The two treatments working in tandem are very effective.

A lot of people who have headaches and migraines may also have issues around suppressed and unexpressed anger and the Liver is also to do with anger. It is a stong organ and when it becomes out of balance and too powerful, then it can easily 'invade' organs, the main one being the Spleen and this is what causes a lot of IBS symtoms, when Wood invades Earth or the Liver invades the Spleen.

I think the comparison with Sham acupuncture is not a good one, as a lot of time, even though one is not needling a specific point, it may just be close enough to have some sort of effect, so I think it is a very inaccurate method. It would be better to have a control group who did not have acupuncture and then compare others who did, or a comparison of acupuncture and conventional medication.

I think that you probably need to look at some Chinese Medical Journals and read some other research before making generalised statements. If you have not already done so, then I would recommend The European Journal of Oriental Medicine and the Journal of Chinese Medicine. Also, the Journal of Clinical Acupuncture is very good for studies and has articles by such people as Nigel Wiseman, Stephen Birch and others renound in the field of traditional acupuncture.

Yes, I agree that acupuncture can make you feel better, but I have also seen and had first hand experience of its effectiveness in headaches.

Sarah,

It is obvious that you think that accupuncture is the best remedy for headaches. I don't. I think that it is one of many different types of treatment that one might find helpful. NO TREATMENT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.

This is a public forum and an exchange of opinions is the norm.

I've never disagreed that accupuncture has helped people and I've never posted that it doesn't help some. Quite the contrary actually if you have read my posts. But no matter you won't convince me that it helps more than a handful of migraineurs. I've been involved with way too many headache sufferers over the past 25 years to think otherwise.

Woodstock

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 12-16-2002).]