Acupuncture is an effective treatment for all types of headaches. This ancient technique shares the objectives of Western medicine: to relieve pain and help patients to function better. However, acupuncture accomplishes these goals without the use of drugs or harmful side effects.
Acupuncture is successful in treating a wide range of headaches, including migraines, tension-type headaches, cluster headaches, sinus-related headaches, and others. Headaches are the most common reason physicians refer their patients to an acupuncturist; the World Health Organization lists headaches among the many conditions for which it has found acupuncture to be effective. The National Institutes of Health also recommends acupuncture in the treatment of headaches. Chinese Medicine and Headaches Acupuncture works to balance the body's 'Qi' or 'life force.' As acupuncture becomes increasingly popular, more scientists in the Western world have sought to understand the mechanisms that make the practice so successful. The following is an abbreviated list of their discoveries: