Acupuncture Superior to Pills for Migraine
A recent UK study on the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating migraines indicates that for patients suffering long-term chronic pain such as migraine, acupuncture is the optimal treatment method rather than various pills.
Traditional Chinese medicine considers the head as the "abode of pure yang," where essence and blood from five zang organs and clear qi from six fu organs all ascend to the head. From a meridian perspective, twelve regular meridians and seven extraordinary vessels connect with the head—especially the three yang meridians and the Du meridian directly run through the head. Dysfunction in these channels may lead to headaches.
Acupuncture is a non-pharmacological therapy without side effects of medication. Therefore, acupuncture treatment for migraines is highly feasible and its exceptional analgesic effect is increasingly recognized. By needling, local qi and blood circulation can be unblocked, addressing both root and branch causes, achieving "no pain when qi flows freely," thus fundamentally improving meridian function.
For acute attacks, acupuncture effectively alleviates pain. In typical migraines, pain significantly reduces immediately after acupuncture. During remission, clinical studies show acupuncture reduces attack frequency or lessens pain intensity. Moreover, treatment approaches and effects differ between acute and remission phases.
It must be emphasized that some people lose confidence due to poor results or prolonged treatment duration; others believe headache is merely a symptom and thus do not seek treatment; still others think they can endure it without intervention. These misconceptions about migraine treatment must be corrected.