Clinical Effect Of Treating Tension-type Headache With Hand Acupuncture

Tension-type headache is the most common type of primary headache, and thought to have rate of incidence higher than migraines, counting to half of all headache patients. International epidemiological studies reveal that the prevalence rate is 30% to 80%, and the incidence rate shows an upward trend domestically. Tension-type headache pain is often described as a constant pressure, as if the head were being squeezed in a vise. The pain is frequently bilateral. The condition often accompanies anxiety and/or depression, which has significant effect work efficiency and quality of life in the patient. The exact cause of tension headache is unknown; thus, treatment lacks specificity. Current treatment relies on anti-depressants, NSAIDs, muscle relaxants. Symptoms are often relieved temporarily, but long-term intake of the drugs may cause adverse side effects and may develop drug dependence or rebound phenomenon with daily headaches.In recent years, pain management using acupuncture has become popular. Researches have been done to investigate the mechanism of action, and acupuncture's analgesic effect is certain. However, very limited studies focus on its effect on tension-type headache.The study attempts to observe the clinical effect of treating tension-type headache with hand acupuncture at 3 acupoints. As opposed to body acupuncture, the chosen 3 acupoints are easy to manipulate.PurposeUsing the pain intensity scale, the effectiveness of the two therapies (hand and body acupuncture) was assessed in the treatment of tension-type headache, in hope to discover a new, effective treatment protocol for the condition.Method Treatment Group:headache point (to treat shaoyang headache), neck point (the location regulating the upward circulation to the brain); after sterilization, use a no. 30 0.5cun acupuncture needle to penetrate into each point, retain the needles intermittently until the pain vanishes. The intensity of pain is monitored to determine the effectiveness of the two acupoints.Control Group:tongziliao (acupoint on foot shaoyang meridian), baihui (the meeting point for du meridian and foot jueyin meridian); after sterilization, use a no. 30 0.5cun acupuncture needle to penetrate into each point, retain the needles intermittently until the pain vanishes. The intensity of pain is monitored to determine the effectiveness of the two acupoints.The two groups were treated once a day, 5 days equal one course of treatment. A total of 4 courses were prescribed. A 2-day break was allowed between courses.ResultsA total of 60 patients were divided into treatment and control groups; each consisted of 30 patients. Before treatment, the difference in their age, gender, course of disease were found to be statistically insignificant. Likewise, the difference in the location and intensity of headache, dizziness, irritability, hypochondriac pain, tightness in the chest were not statistically significant. Moreover, the difference in symptoms such as flushing and red eyes, tenderness in the back, feeling of heaviness, insomnia, bloating was not statistically significant. The difference in tongue features and coating was also statistically insignificant.After treatment, the change seen in dizziness, irritability, feeling of heaviness, insomnia for the two groups, there was no significant group difference (p>0.05). However, for those seen in hypochondriac pain, tenderness in the back, bloating, the group difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). No significant improvement was seen for dizziness, irritability, bloating, flushing and red eyes, tenderness in the back and insomnia (p>0.05). For hypochondriac pain, and feeling of heaviness, however, there was significant change after treatment (p<0.05).The group difference in effective rate was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05), which showed that hand acupuncture was very effective in the treatment.ConclusionBoth hand and body acupuncture improved the symptoms and were effective in treating tension-type headache. Hand acupuncture was a more effective therapy than body acupuncture.