The current sophisticated state of modern medicine has made it possible to have a whole variety of effective treatments against migraine, from new oral medications to electronic headgear. But, according to experts, sometimes the most effective treatment is one that has been around for millennia.
“It’s all about acupuncture”, explains Dr. Niushen Zhang, a neurologist and chief of the Division of Headaches in the Department of Neurology at Stanford Medicine. “The studies are getting better and better.”
According to ancient Chinese medicine, the body’s energy flows through a system of meridians or channels. When that energy doesn’t circulate effectively, it can cause pain. Acupuncture needles are inserted into the meridian system, allowing Let the energy circulate again. For people with migraines, it seems to really work.
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A 2017 study, which offered needle sticks and placebo to 249 migraine sufferers, found that “acupuncture authentic significantly reduced the frequency of headache attacks, as opposed to sham acupuncture.” And a review of some 20 different clinical trials involving nearly 5,000 people found that in nearly two-thirds of migraineurs who received acupuncture, the frequency of the condition was cut in half.
Even so, certain scientific aspects remain beyond the reach of experts in this field: “In short, there is a lot we still don’t know about how acupuncture works,” says Dr. Zhang. “We believe that when the needles are applied, certain neurochemical changes occur, certain neurotransmitters are released. Like many other migraine treatments, the ultimate goal is calm that hypersensitivity of the migrainous brain”.
Acupuncture is included in a group of migraine remedies called complementary integrative treatments. Also included in this category certain lifestyle changes —for example, exercising or maintaining a consistent sleep schedule—, vitamin supplements, and behavioral regulation, for example, relaxation training.
Neurologists consider these approaches to fighting migraine to be really promising. “He yogathe meditationthe techniques of mindfulness and relaxation and biofeedback produce similar gains, and can reduce the frequency of headache, or alleviate it from its onset,” explains Dr. Morris Levin, director of the University of San Francisco (UCSF) Headache Center. “It’s very interesting”.
But if there are already effective oral medications for migraineurs, why are scientists exploring therapies like yoga or relaxation? Although migraine medicine is still investigating its full nature, researchers know that headache does not exist in a vacuum, but rather is related to other health conditions that affect people’s lives. “I always tell my patients that migraine is often the body’s response to other underlying medical problems,” explains Dr. Zhang. “So if someone has uncontrolled high blood pressure, sleep apnea or depression, all of these can contribute to the development of migraine symptoms.”
“That’s why the treatments are so varied,” says Dr. Wade Cooper, director of the University of Michigan Headache and Neuropathic Pain Clinic. “If you have sleep problems that cause migraines, we will focus on helping you sleep better.”
Complementary integrative treatments expand the avenues of migraine mitigation that clinicians can offer to patients. This is especially useful if the latter are apprehensive about taking oral medication.
However, apprehension—of both patients and those who treat them—can exist on both sides: “I still there are people who dismiss acupuncture,” Zhang says. “I think that’s why it’s important that we as clinicians look at the medical literature, at the science…” We might discover that people are still turning to treatments from thousands of years ago because they really were right.
This article was originally published on the US edition of GQ.