Efficacy of acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis: A single-blinded, double-dummy, randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Insufficient clinical trial data were available to prove the efficacy of acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis. A multicenter, double-dummy, single-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted at the outpatient departments of acupuncture at 5 hospitals in China to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture. A total of 140 patients with migraine without aura were recruited and assigned randomly to 2 different groups: the acupuncture group treated with verum acupuncture plus placebo and the control group treated with sham acupuncture plus flunarizine. Treated by acupuncture 3 times per week and drugs every night, patients from both groups were evaluated at week 0 (baseline), week 4, and week 16. The primary outcome was measured by the proportion of responders (defined as the proportion of patients with a reduction of migraine days by at least 50%). The secondary outcome measures included the number of migraine days, visual analogue scale (VAS, 0 to 10 cm) for pain, as well as the physical and mental component summary scores of the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). The patients in the acupuncture group had better responder rates and fewer migraine days compared with the control group (P<.05), whereas there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in VAS scores and SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores (P>.05). The results suggested that acupuncture was more effective than flunarizine in decreasing days of migraine attacks, whereas no significantly differences were found between acupuncture and flunarizine in reduction of pain intensity and improvement of the quality of life.

Electroacupuncture Pretreatment at GB20 Exerts Antinociceptive Effects via Peripheral and Central Serotonin Mechanism in Conscious Migraine Rats

“…As shown in Figure 3, EA at GB20 produced a decrease in resting, freezing, and grooming behaviors, and an increase in exploration behavior in migraine rats. EA pretreatment decreases the dural electrical stimulations-evoked response without reaching response values in the Control group, and this finding is similar to that demonstrated in migraineurs [11, 31, 32], in which acupuncture is not completely effective but helps to diminish pain during migraine attacks.…”

“…The rats were placed into a tailored apparatus that exposed their heads and necks sufficiently. GB20 is a commonly used acupuncture point for treating migraines [11]. In rats, the point is anatomically similar to that in humans, as it is located 3 mm lateral to the center of a line joining the two ears at the back of the head.…”

“…However, there is no “cure” drug for migraine, and many patients have reported intolerance to these drugs because of the side effects [8], which prompts a search for complementary therapies that could be valuable, such as acupuncture [9]. In clinic, numerous randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that acupuncture therapy in migraine can reduce frequencies of attacks for prophylactic intervention with few side effects [10, 11], and it can instantly attenuate pain in the acute phase [12, 13]. However, the underlying mechanism of its antinociceptive effect in migraine remains to be elucidated.…”

Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine

“…Twenty studies (described in 23 publications) did not meet selection criteria (Agro 2005; Boutouyrie 2010; Ceccherelli 2012; Deng 2006; Ferro 2012; Foroughipour 2014; Han 2011; Jia 2009; Matra 2012; Qin 2006; Vijayalakshmi 2014; Wang 2011; Wu 2011; Yang 2009; Yang 2011; Zhang 2006; Zhang 2009; Zheng 2013; Zhong 2009; Zhou 2007). A number of Chinese trials were excluded due to inadequate duration of prophylactic drug treatment (several Chinese trials gave flunarizine or other drugs for four weeks only), overall observation of less than eight weeks, inclusion of participants with recent onset of migraine, and lack of relevant outcome measures.…”

Effects of Long-Term Acupuncture Treatment on Resting-State Brain Activity in Migraine Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Active Acupoints and Inactive Acupoints

“…The latest Cochrane meta-analysis suggests that acupuncture as a migraine prophylaxis is safe and at least as effective, if not more effective, than prophylactic drug treatment [10]. During the past decade, a considerable number of high quality clinical studies have indicated that acupuncture is able to alleviate headache degree and/or improve the QOL [11]–[13]. However, despite the popularity of acupuncture in migraine therapy, there persists limited knowledge on the physiological mechanisms behind this method, and some controversy on the superiority of verum acupuncture over sham control.…”