A randomised controlled trial enrolled 114 patients to compare acupuncture with metoprolol (a beta-blocker) for the prevention of migraine attacks. Both groups experienced a similar fall in the number of days with migraine, but there were fewer side effects with acupuncture.
The researchers concluded that acupuncture might be an effective and safe treatment option for patients unwilling or unable to take medication.
(Effectiveness and Tolerability of Acupuncture Compared with metoprolol in Migraine Prophylaxis. Headache Journal 2006)
A one year randomised controlled trial was conducted, comparing acupuncture with no acupuncture for 401 patients experiencing chronic headaches, predominantly migraine. Patients in the acupuncture group reported 22 fewer days with headache in the year, used 15% less medication, made 25% fewer visits to their GP, and had 15% fewer days off sick than their counterparts given the usual care.
The researchers concluded that acupuncture leads to lasting benefits for patients with chronic headache, particularly migraine, and that an expansion of NHS acupuncture services should be considered.
(British Medical Journal 2004;328:744)
A randomised controlled trial involving 160 women, compared acupuncture with flunarizine for the prevention of migraine. Both groups experienced a reduction in the frequency of attacks and drugs used for relief of the symptoms, but the number of attacks at the two and four month points, was lower in the acupuncture group. This was also the only group to show a significant reduction in pain intensity, and significantly lower treatment side effects.
The researchers concluded that acupuncture could be used to prevent migraine attacks, and it was more effective and better tolerated than flunarizine in the first months of treatment.
(Acupuncture in the Prophylactic Treatment of Migraine without Aura: A Comparison with Flunarizine. Headache Journal 2002)
An Italian study of 160 migraine patients, has attempted to compare the effectiveness of true traditional Chinese acupuncture, with sham acupuncture (in which patients were lead to believe needles were being inserted) and standard drug therapy with Rizatriptan.
Participants were divided into four groups, comprising a true traditional acupuncture group plus the drug, two groups using variations of sham acupuncture plus the drug, and finally, the drug only. Improvements were found in all groups at three and six months, but true traditional acupuncture was the only treatment to provide a significant improvement at both three and six months, compared to drug therapy only.
(Traditional Acupuncture in Migraine: A Controlled Randomized Study. Headache Journal 2007 Sept 14)
An audit of almost 6000 patients who attended a pain clinic in Spain over a nine year period, revealed an average success rate of 79.7%. For the audit, “success” was defined as an improvement of at least 50% in five factors: pain intensity, pain frequency, consumption of painkillers, level of incapacity, and sleep disturbance.
The highest success rate (93%) was achieved in patients with headaches. The authors conclude acupuncture is effective, carries with it no severe adverse events, and considerably reduces the consumption of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs.
(Effectiveness of acupuncture and related techniques in treating nononcological pain in primary healthcare-an audit; Acupuncture Med June 2007)
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