A prospective study undertaken by researchers in Pennsylvania, USA, has shown that acupuncture has persistent beneficial effects on both the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks. A total of 59 migraine patients were asked to keep daily headache and quality of life diaries for three months. They were then given acupuncture twice a week for four weeks, followed by a further four weeks of treatment once per week, all whilst continuing with their diaries.
On comparing pre- and post-treatment data, migraine frequency and pain intensity were found to have decreased significantly after a course of acupuncture. Furthermore, at follow-up twelve weeks after the last acupuncture session, both frequency and intensity remained lower than they had been prior to the start of treatment. Acupuncture also had a significant impact on patients’ quality of life.
(Standardized set-point acupuncture for migraines. Altern Ther Health Med, Nov-Dec 2013.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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