In 2004, a researcher conducted a study in which 12 patients were randomly chosen to receive acupuncture treatments for their chronic pain. After a year, the patients experienced less headaches than patients that were not receiving acupuncture. Patients that received the acupuncture experienced 22 fewer headaches per year. The research concluded that acupuncture provides relief for patients that suffer from chronic headaches, in particular, headaches.
Vickers AJ, et al. BMJ Epub 2004 Mar 15.
HISTORY AND THEORY
The ancient Chinese thought that energy referred to as “qi” or “chi” circulated in the body via specific channels called meridians. They considered that the balance and transmission of this energy from side to side, top to bottom and from the inside to the outside of the body was very important. Practitioners stimulate acupuncture points to achieve therapeutic relief. This system is very complex as both channels and acupuncture points are anatomically invisible. During the Shang Dynasty, hieroglyphs showed evidence of acupuncture. Archeologists believe that acupuncture originated more than 3000 years ago. Since then, it has become a part of modern Western medicine as an effective therapy. Modern research has documented chemical changes in the body after acupuncture treatment and clinical studies have confirmed the effectiveness of acupuncture for a variety of ailments.