The effectiveness of acupuncture for chronic daily headache: an outcomes study

With the increased incidence of migraine headaches noted in the military population it becomes imperative to find safe and effective treatment options for soldiers. Acupuncture may be one of those options. This pilot study used a standardized set of well-known acupuncture points over a predetermined time interval on 26 subjects suffering from chronic daily headache, the majority being migraineurs, and found a reduction in the frequency and intensity of their headaches. Headache calendars and validated measurements were compared 12 weeks before and 12 weeks after the acupuncture intervention. Results showed continued improvements 12 weeks after the last treatment. Traditionally, acupuncture treatments are individualized at each visit. However the absence of a standardized treatment regimen obstructs data reproducibility across the discipline. A standardized approach may be useful. Variations of these acupuncture points have been used in recent research studies for migraines and acupuncture for headaches for the past 2,000 years.