Acupuncture Eases Tension Headache Pain
Acupuncture Eases Tension Headache Pain
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rita_Jenkins]Rita Jenkins
The ancient Chinese practice of has proven to be an effective treatment for tension headache. It not only relieves pain, but also cuts rates of recurrence by almost half, a recent study indicates.
Traditional Chinese therapy involves insertion of needles up to 3 inches deep into the body at prescribed points, according to licensed acupuncturist Rong Zeng of the New York Good Health Clinic in Manhattan.
However, a new, randomized blind study in Germany involving 270 patients with a similar severity of tension headache has shown that a minimal course of works almost as well as the traditional method.
Fewer Headaches After Treatment
Researchers divided the patients into three groups. Over an eight-week period, one group was treated with traditional acupuncture, another received minimal (needles inserted only superficially into the skin at non-acupuncture points), and the control group had neither treatment.
The subjects were monitored for four weeks after their period of treatment. Those who had received traditional care subsequently experienced seven fewer headaches. The group that had been given minimal therapy had surprisingly similar results -- 6.6 fewer headaches.
The control group did not fare as well, with only 1.5 fewer headaches.
Improvements in headache rates continued for months after the
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treatment, though they began to rise slightly as time went on.
Results Subject to Interpretation
Such a negligable difference in results between traditional and minimal treatments possibly indicates that the location of points and depth of needle insertion do not make a major difference for treatment of tension headache, the authors of the study suggest.
However, they caution that the possibility of placebo effects should not be overlooked.
"Placebo effect is a factor in all types of medicine," Dr. Zeng noted. In western medicine, for example, blind tests may reveal placebo effects that are similar to responses to trial drugs, she explained.
In any case, it is clear that the patients who received treatment experienced fewer headaches. The possibility that placebo effect plays a role in does not detract from its efficacy.
Copyright 2005 Daily News Central
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com
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