Does Daith Piercing Prevent Migraine?

Shownotes

In this episode, journalist and TCM practitioner Anne Hardy (Frankfurt/Main, Germany) talks with Kajsa Landgren about one of the most hyped trends on social media: the so called “migraine piercing,” better known as the daith piercing. Together, they explore what is behind the claim that daith piercing relieves migraine, what we actually know from research, and how all of this relates to both Western and Chinese understandings of auricular acupuncture.

Kajsa Landgren is an acupuncturist with a PhD in nursing and a registered nurse with specialist training in psychiatry. She has worked as a lecturer and researcher at Lund University in Sweden, where she conducted, among other things, studies on ear acupuncture in psychiatric care. Outside the university, she trains ear acupuncturists together with Stina Norbye, offering a course in ear acupuncture that includes women’s health, as well as trainings in NADA acupuncture.

Kajsa is the author of “Ear Acupuncture – A Practical Guide” and “NADA – Ear Acupuncture for Addiction and Mental Illness.” Her new book, “Neuromodulation via Ear Acupuncture and Ear Acupressure. A Theoretical and Practical Guide for Evidence Based Practice,” will be published in Swedish and English in April, with a German translation to follow before the summer.

In this conversation, we discuss: • What a daith piercing actually is, where on the ear it is placed, and how it is performed. • Whether and how ear piercings might influence acupuncture points in the auricle. • What current evidence suggests: case reports and a small number of studies on daith piercing and migraine, including immediate pain reduction and the recurrence of headache symptoms after some weeks or months. • A 2024 narrative review from the journal “Headache” revisiting daith piercing from the perspective of auricular acupuncture systems. • The hypothesis that daith piercing might work by stimulating the vagus nerve, and how this idea relates to existing vagus nerve stimulation data. • Other, potentially safer ways to modulate the vagus nerve that might be relevant for migraine management. • Known and possible risks of daith piercing, including why the American Migraine Foundation has warned that its risks may outweigh potential benefits. • Kajsa’s recommendations for people living with migraine, based on her clinical experience and the current state of evidence.

This episode is for anyone curious about the intersection of body modification, neuromodulation, and acupuncture – from TCM practitioners and other health professionals to patients wondering whether a daith piercing could be a serious option for migraine prevention.