Acupuncture for Headaches & Migraine

If you're among the millions suffering from debilitating headaches or migraines, you understand the profound impact these conditions can have on your quality of life. From missed workdays to canceled social plans, the constant threat of pain can leave you feeling helpless and frustrated.

Conventional treatments often come with unwanted side effects or diminishing effectiveness over time. But there's hope: acupuncture offers a scientifically-backed alternative that addresses the root causes of headache pain without the drawbacks of medication.

How Acupuncture Works for Headaches and Migraines

Headaches and migraines result from complex interactions between nerve signals, blood vessels, inflammation, and neurochemical imbalances. Acupuncture works through multiple mechanisms to address these factors:

• Pain Signal Modulation: Stimulates the release of endorphins and encephalins that naturally reduce pain perception
• Neuroinflammation Reduction: Decreases inflammatory factors and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a key molecule in migraine
• Vascular Regulation: Improves intracranial blood circulation and stabilizes blood vessel tone in the brain
• Nervous System Balance: Regulates the descending pain modulatory system and reduces central sensitization
• Stress Response Management: Modifies brain activity in regions involved in pain processing and stress responses

What Research Shows

Clinical research strongly supports acupuncture's effectiveness for headache and migraine conditions:

• Migraine Prevention: Meta-analyses demonstrate that acupuncture significantly reduces migraine frequency (50-59% reduction), with effects comparable or superior to preventive medications and lasting for at least 3 months
• Tension Headache Relief: Studies show 50% or greater reduction in headache days for patients with chronic tension-type headaches receiving acupuncture compared to control treatments
• Reduced Medication Use: Research shows significant decreases in the need for pain medication and symptom-relieving drugs in patients receiving regular acupuncture treatment
• Long-Term Benefits: Clinical trials consistently report that acupuncture's positive effects can persist for 6 months or longer after treatment completion
• Safety Profile: Acupuncture demonstrates fewer side effects than conventional migraine medications, with 94% of participants tolerating the treatment well

Expert Guidelines Support Acupuncture

Acupuncture is now recommended by several medical organizations:

• The American College of Physicians recommends acupuncture as a first-line treatment for chronic headaches
• NICE guidelines in the UK recommend a course of acupuncture for chronic pain conditions
• The American Migraine Foundation states that a course of at least six acupuncture sessions can be a valuable treatment option

At Biio, we offer evidence-based acupuncture treatments specifically designed for headache and migraine sufferers.

Our experience practitioner, Dr Amy Farley, has extensive experience helping patients reduce both the frequency and intensity of their headaches.