Migraines? 5 University's Research Shows Acupuncture is Better than Medication

Acupuncture is a cost-effective and safe treatment modality for the alleviation or elimination of migraine headaches. Harvard Medical School, Georgetown University, University of Arizona, Creighton University, and Louisiana State University researchers report findings showing that acupuncture reduces the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks. Research indicates that patients receiving acupuncture are also less prone to secondary anxiety attacks and depression.

Globally, migraines afflict 14.7% of the world’s population. According to Mayo Clinic research, 1.5% of the USA population has received acupuncture treatment; however, migraines afflict 15.3% of the USA population. Females are disproportionately affected, with 9.7% of males and 20.7% of USA females suffering from migraines.

Their findings are consistent with multiple studies and prior investigations. A Cochrane Systematic Review concludes that acupuncture reduces that duration and frequency of migraines.

Researchers also discovered specific neurochemical responses to acupuncture using a highly advanced technology (called magnetic resonance spectroscopy), to make an important discovery.

Brain metabolites are involved in the transmission of pain due to migraines. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirms that acupuncture causes a significant increases in metabolite levels in the thalamus. The increases provided by acupuncture therapy were correlated with decreases in migraine headache intensity levels. As a result, acupuncture’s effects on normalizing brain metabolic activity demonstrates a role in reducing pain due to migraines.

Another study in the review finds auricular acupuncture (ear acupuncture) effective for reducing the number of migraine days per month for patients suffering from chronic migraines after one month of acupuncture therapy. In 2020, a groundbreaking retrospective study of 21,209 patients with migraines confirms the efficacy of acupuncture. Acupuncture was found cost-effective for the treatment of migraines. Moreover, acupuncture reduced the risk of depression and anxiety. A thirteen-year follow-up reveals that migraine patients receiving acupuncture had significantly less incidences of both depression and anxiety.

A 2018 study took a specific look at how acupuncture produces immediate relief. Acupuncture was found effective for the reduction of migraine intensity directly after acupuncture therapy. This supplements the findings of other investigations finding acupuncture effective in producing long-term results. Another double-blinded, multicenter randomized controlled trial reported in the meta-analysis finds acupuncture effective for preventing migraine attacks. After 20 acupuncture visits, the incidence of migraine attacks dropped significantly when compared with sham controls.

One important study concluded that acupuncture is more effective than pharmacological intervention. After 12 weeks of acupuncture or drug therapy, the acupuncture group had significantly fewer days with migraines. The results were immediate and a 6 month follow-up (post-treatment) confirmed that acupuncture produced fewer days with migraines.

The researchers concluded that “acupuncture is more effective than no treatment, sham treatment, or medication in treating and preventing migraines and that it is also associated with a greater enhancement in quality of life compared to medication.”