The aim of this systematic review was two-fold: to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of tension-type headache, and to compare three criteria lists assessing the quality of studies. Searches to selected criteria lists were carried out with no time limit using the database for the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Articles of controlled clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of tension-type headache were obtained by searching through the databases Medline, CINAHL, Embase, AMED and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to February 2003. Six articles met the criteria for inclusion and three criteria lists were used to assess the internal validity of these studies. The studies were considered to be of high quality or low quality in accordance with the criteria lists utilised. The results of the trials were considered positive, negative or indifferent based on statistically significant between group differences. The three criteria lists utilised yielded the same results and indicate that two of six studies were of high quality. Results indicated limited evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of tension-type headache. This systematic review shows that qualitative assessments by three criteria lists focusing on internal validity, gave the same results, and that there is limited evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of tension-type headache.

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A brief summary and a critical assessment of this review may be available at DARE