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For people who suffer from tension headaches (headaches that affect both sides of the skull with a feeling of pressure), acupuncture could reduce the intensity of the pain and the number of days during which attacks occur.
The study, supported by the Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, highlighted the beneficial effects of acupuncture on chronic headache, a specific type of headache. which sets in gradually and can last for months.
A drastic reduction in the number of days with headaches
For this study, 218 people suffering from chronic headaches approximately 22 days per month benefited, at random, from a specific type of acupuncture: traditional acupuncture (accompanied by tingling, numbness and heaviness) or a more superficial acupuncture (with a lesser depth of the needles in the body).
More specifically, it is a tension headache, very frequent headaches that result in a pain like a vice in the head. The feeling of pressure is felt on both sides of the head. It increases during the day. It can be accompanied eye strain and tense neck musclesbut unlike migraine, does not cause no digestive disorders (nausea, vomiting).
Both groups of patients received two or three sessions per week, for a total of 20 sessions for two months. They were then followed for an additional six months.
Results ? At the end of the study, 68% of people receiving traditional acupuncture reported a reduction of at least 50% in the number of monthly headache days compared to people who received superficial acupuncture.
“Our study found that acupuncture reduced the average number of headache days per month in people with pain attacks”underlined the author of the study, Ying Li, of the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Chengdu.
In addition, among those who benefited from traditional acupuncture sessions, the days with headaches went from 20 days per month – at the start of the study – to 7 days per month at the end.
The decrease was however less notable for those who received superficial acupuncture: 23 days per month at the beginning compared to 12 days at the end.
Very few side effects have also been observed.
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Further research is needed
Despite these promising initial results, scientists want to do more research on the subject.
“Although this study showed the positive effect of acupuncture on headaches, more research is needed to determine the long-term effectiveness of this medicine, while comparing it to other treatment options”Li said.
The study’s lead author also clarified that the cost-effectiveness of the treatment should be investigated.