Abstract
This paper will discuss the investigation and treatment of chronic headaches as a major symptom in patients presenting at a private pain clinic. The author has had extensive clinical experience in acupuncture therapy spanning a ten year period. He has personally administered over twenty thousand treatments.
Chronic headache symptoms can be grouped into three distinct classes by careful history and physical examination. These are (1) Classical migraine headaches, (2) Muscle contraction headaches and (3) Headaches due to neuralgia of the temporal and occipital nerves.
The clinical characteristics of each group will be described and the principles of their treatments with acupuncture will be discussed.
The clinical impression is that acupuncture is a very safe and conservative form of treatment for chronic headaches in patients who do not respond to usual Western therapy.
The only complications seen with acupuncture therapy are simple hematomata at acupuncture sites, and occasionally syncope. No serious complications have been encountered.
The overall improvement rate is approximately 60%.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.