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Acupuncture in the Treatment of Headache: A Traditional Explanation of an Ancient Art
Author(s) -
Cady Roger K.,
Farmer Kathleen
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/head.12523
Subject(s) - acupuncture , medicine , migraine , alternative medicine , physical therapy , traditional medicine , psychiatry , pathology
Background Over the past 4000 years, acupuncture has survived the test of time. Recent scientific studies posit acupuncture is an effective intervention for back and joint pain and headache, including migraine. Methods The process of acupuncture is explained, including the role of Q i, the integration of Y ang and Y in, the 5 elements, the 8 trigrams, and the metaphors that help the acupuncturist understand the patient, interpret symptoms, and determine acupuncture points in the meridians used to prevent or treat disease. A case study is presented from 3 perspectives: allopathic, traditional acupuncture, and Western acupuncture. Results Selected acupuncture studies in headache are reviewed. The safety of acupuncture is discussed as well as the challenges in conducting clinical studies of acupuncture.