Tag Archive for: migraine

Migraine: Acupuncture vs Topiramate

Acupuncture is more effective in prevention of chronic migraine headaches and is 10 times safer compared to topiramate treatment. These are the findings of a study published in the current issue of Cephalalgia, a journal for the International Headache Society.

The researchers compared acupuncture with topiramate. They call for acupuncture to be considered a treatment option for chronic migraine patients, even for those patients with medication overuse.

Studies have shown that addressing tension in the neck, which often accompanies migraines and headaches can be very helpful reducing the severity and frequency of the headaches. I can see in my practice that combining acupuncture with gentle mobilisation of the neck muscles is the most effective way to manage acute migraine and to prevent migraines.

It will be interesting to see more studies looking into the combination of these treatments in the future.

Headache migraine acupuncture

Acupuncture for headaches and migraines superior to medication

Acupuncture is superior to medication therapy for headaches.

It is more effective than sham acupuncture (fake needle or placebo) in reducing headache intensity and frequency. More people respond to acupuncture than to medication. These are the conclusions of this massive, systematic review, which included 31 studies on acupuncture for chronic headache, including migraine and tension-type headache.

This high-quality study was conducted by Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, USA and published in the current issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia.

“I was suffering from debilitating migraines…”

Following a snowboarding accident I started to suffer from severe migraines and neck pain. At times the neck was hurting so much, it was keeping me awake at night. I was suffering from debilitating migraines at least twice a month.

In the past 2 years I saw a sports and musculoskeletal medicine specialist and 3 different physiotherapists. These treatments didn’t leave a mark on my almost daily neck pain and headaches.

I love exercise. I enjoy swimming, pilates, running, gym and box-aerobics. But the pain often used to get worse during and after exercise.

I was so frustrated by the lack of any progress, when one of my colleagues recommended that I should see Vitalis.

I’m enjoying life so much more now. I said good-bye to all the painkillers. After suffering for such a long time, it feels so great to be pain free! I can concentrate at work again, I enjoy my exercise so much more, and overall I’m much more balanced and happy.

Lula Rohrer
Age 31
Project Manager, External Relations at The University of Auckland