Acupuncture efficient in checking headaches

London, United Kingdom, January 22: A latest scientific review shows that the commonly used alternative therapy, acupuncture, is quite efficient in checking headaches.

The Cochrane Review went over 33 different assessments into acupuncture and its ‘sham’ form. This form also entails putting in needles, but not into the conventional ‘energy points’.

Inserting needles into particular position may not be that significant, said the scientist who headed the review.

Though not considered as a fully approved alternative therapy as of now, acupuncture is gradually being seen as a promising conventional treatment for conditions like chronic pain.

Backing by the Cochrane Collaboration may result in additional calls for making acupuncture extensively accessible on the NHS.

The normal justification given for the positive effects of acupuncture is that the flow of an energy named “chi” is regulated by tapping into a network of “meridians” around the body. All along these meridians are positioned the diverse acupuncture points.

But the current acupuncture experts differ in opinion. They feel that delicate variations in the brain and nervous system that the insertion of needles induces can be helpful. Hence, they advocate the need to concentrate on other body parts besides the conventional acupuncture points.

The Cochrane Review took into account 6,736 patients. These people were given acupuncture to keep a check on mild headaches or migraine attacks. Continuing this way for at least 8 weeks, patients who were given acupuncture endured lesser headaches compared to those who only got painkillers.

The reviewers established that acupuncture was far better compared to preventative drug therapies in case of migraine.

In spite of this, acupuncture based on unconventional needle positions was as effective as the conventional form in preventing tension headaches and almost as useful in migraine patients.

“Much of the clinical benefit of acupuncture might be due to non-specific needling effects and powerful placebo effects, meaning that the selection of specific needle points may be less important than many practitioners have traditionally argued”, said Dr. Klaus Linde from the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research at the Technical University of Munich in Germany.

Embracing the research, Dr. Mike Cummings, medical director of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, said, “I think that, quite literally, many practitioners have missed the point in the past.”

“We certainly don’t call what we do ‘sham’ acupuncture, as we believe there is growing evidence for a mechanism behind what we do.”

“However, we still don’t fully understand what is happening when needles are inserted, although these reviews suggest that for certain conditions, it is effective.”