Acupuncture is widely used to prevent migraine attacks, but the available evidence
of its benefit is scarce.
To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture and
with no acupuncture in patients with migraine.
Three-group, randomized, controlled trial (April 2002-January 2003) involving 302
patients (88% women), mean (SD) age of 43 (11) years, with migraine headaches, based
on International Headache Society criteria. Patients were treated at 18 outpatient
centers in Germany.
Acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waiting list control. Acupuncture and sham acupuncture
were administered by specialized physicians and consisted of 12 sessions per patient
over 8 weeks. Patients completed headache diaries from 4 weeks before to 12 weeks
after randomization and from week 21 to 24 after randomization.
Difference in headache days of moderate or severe intensity between the 4 weeks before
and weeks 9 to 12 after randomization.
Between baseline and weeks 9 to 12, the mean (SD) number of days with headache of
moderate or severe intensity decreased by 2.2 (2.7) days from a baseline of 5.2 (2.5)
days in the acupuncture group compared with a decrease to 2.2 (2.7) days from a baseline
of 5.0 (2.4) days in the sham acupuncture group, and by 0.8 (2.0) days from a baseline
if 5.4 (3.0) days in the waiting list group. No difference was detected between the
acupuncture and the sham acupuncture groups (0.0 days, 95% confidence interval, -0.7
to 0.7 days; P = .96) while there was a difference between the acupuncture group compared
with the waiting list group (1.4 days; 95% confidence interval; 0.8-2.1 days; P<.001).
The proportion of responders (reduction in headache days by at least 50%) was 51%
in the acupuncture group, 53% in the sham acupuncture group, and 15% in the waiting
list group.
Acupuncture was no more effective than sham acupuncture in reducing migraine headaches
although both interventions were more effective than a waiting list control.