Acupuncture for headache
Acupuncture is widely used especially in the management of pain and in the prevention of further occurrence of pain. Acupuncture is a traditional system of medicine in which thin needles are inserted in specific acupuncture points.
When a needle is punctured to a specific point for pain, there is the release of certain neurotransmitters which block the pain pathway and help in managing the pain. Also, there is the release of endorphins which act as natural pain killers in the body.
Headache is one of the common discomforts in the head, scalp, and neck. Headache can sometimes be mild and sometimes be severe which makes it difficult to concentrate on work or other activities. Fortunately, most headaches can be managed with lifestyle changes and some simple techniques.
Some of the common types of headache
Tension Headache: Stress and poor postures are contributing factors to this type of headache. These types are often explained and tightness around the head.
Migraine Headache: Migraine headaches are the throbbing type of pain usually seen in one side of the head. The person may also experience visual disturbance, Nausea dizziness, and sensitivity to sound.
Cluster headache: This type of headache is often short in duration and usually discomfort behind the eyes.
Let us understand the effectiveness of Acupuncture by a case report. We had this participant at the Vivekananda Health Global center in Bangalore
A 34year old woman presented with a chief complaint of headache for several days on and off with frequency of headache 2-3days a week. The woman also mentioned feeling anxious and depressed with the repeated occurring of headaches. Initially, she had intervened with a conventional system of medicine with no changes in headache when a friend suggested her to try acupuncture.
Acupuncture treatment was administered for a duration of 30mins and on alternate days. After the first 2 sessions participant felt no change but after 4 sessions participant felt changes by 50% in the intensity of the pain.
Later she found changes in the frequency of pain too. She completed her course of 7 days and after a week gap, she also took the 2nd course of 7 sessions.
People can understand the difference only with experience and the sessions have to be monitored by Doctor’s trained in Acupuncture.
