There are many causes of headaches; some of these respond well to acupuncture. The most common type of headache is so-called 'tension' headache, usually resulting in a pressing or tightening pain over both sides of the head.
Headaches
I find that acupuncture is most likely to be effective when these headaches are the result of muscular tension. When this is the case, then treating the tense areas of muscle, especially over the neck and top of the shoulders, can help relive the pain.
Because there are so many different causes of headache, researching the effects of treatment is difficult; nevertheless, the best research does suggest that "acupuncture could be a valuable option for patients suffering from frequent tension-like headaches".1
Because there are so many different causes of headache, researching the effects of treatment is difficult; nevertheless, the best research does suggest that "acupuncture could be a valuable option for patients suffering from frequent tension-like headaches".1
1 Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B, Manheimer E, Vickers A, White AR. Acupuncture for tension-type headache. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD007587. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD07587.
