Spinal manipulation and acupuncture for management of tensiontype headaches and migraines

In a 2012 case study, a 32-year-old woman was suffering from chronic headaches, which met the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria for a chronic, tension-type headache with migraine. During her teens, she had also experienced migraines that she managed with medication. However, when the medication itself started causing other physical symptoms and discomfort, she had stopped taking the medication. At the time of the study, she’d been suffering a five-month resurgence of headaches.

The woman received five treatments during the course of two weeks, including two initial acupuncture treatments,
followed by three sessions of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy and acupuncture treatments. After two weeks
of treatment, her symptoms resolved. In the year following this combination of treatment, she did not experience any
recurrence of headaches.

This study indicates that a combination of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy and acupuncture provided this
patient with positive outcomes, including the full resolution of her headaches. The research suggests that others who
suffer from chronic migraines and headaches may find similar courses of treatment an effective means of resolving
their symptoms.

Source: Ohlsen BA.“Combination of acupuncture and spinal manipulative therapy: management of a 32-year-old
patient with chronic tensiontype headache and migraine.” J Chiropr Med. 2012 Sep;11(3):192201