The first Cochrane Review on acupuncture for idiopathic headache appeared in 2001 and since then a large number of randomised, controlled acupuncture trials have been published with the authors concluding that acupuncture is an effective treatment option for both these conditions.
Regardless of the type of headache the aim of acupuncture is to normalise the activity in the brain through regulating hormones and neurotransmitters. The pituitary gland produces endorphins which act as the bodies natural painkillers and release the body’s “Feel Good Factor” – Serotonin. Research has shown that insertion of acupuncture needles into certain points in the body trigger a release of endorphins thus why acupuncture can reduce pain and induce deep relaxation.
A Chinese Proverb states “Where there is pain, there is no free flow, and where there is free flow there is no pain”, Acupuncture aims to release any blockages in both the energy pathways of the body and ensure that Qi & blood can flow freely in the body, this will in turn release physical and emotional blockages that cause pain in the body.
