Almost half of the adult global population experienced a headache in the past year. The lifelong prevalence of headaches is 96%. It’s no surprise that headaches rank in the top ten reasons why patients go see their primary care doctor.

Tension-Type Headaches can often progress in severity and duration, thus causing increased amounts of impairment and disability. Seeking professional help from a Certified Headache Specialist would be the next step to develop both an acute and preventative plan of care. Prescription medications, medical marijuana (depending on your state’s medical marijuana laws), and conservative treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture are all viable treatment options.

The short, honest answer? It depends.

1. It depends on the root cause of your headaches, which depends on the accuracy of your medical diagnosis by your medical doctor.
2. It depends on the education, skills, and clinical experience of your acupuncturist.
3. It ultimately depends on your own beliefs in medicine and science and what your true expectations are of successful treatment.

I am a Board Certified Headache Medicine Specialist and a Certified Acupuncturist. I have been treating patients in my private practice in New York City and Northern New Jersey for over 10 years.