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Acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis: a randomized controlled trial
Li Y, Zheng H, Witt CM, Roll S, Yu S-G, Yan J, Sun G-J, Zhao L, Huang W-J, Chang X-R, Zhang H-X, Wang D-J, Lan L, Zou R, Liang F-R
Canadian Medical Association Journal [Journal de l'Association Medicale Canadienne] 2012 Mar 6;184(4):401-410
clinical trial
8/10 [Eligibility criteria: Yes; Random allocation: Yes; Concealed allocation: No; Baseline comparability: Yes; Blind subjects: Yes; Blind therapists: No; Blind assessors: Yes; Adequate follow-up: Yes; Intention-to-treat analysis: Yes; Between-group comparisons: Yes; Point estimates and variability: Yes. Note: Eligibility criteria item does not contribute to total score] *This score has been confirmed*

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is commonly used to treat migraine. We assessed the efficacy of acupuncture at migraine-specific acupuncture points compared with other acupuncture points and sham acupuncture. METHODS: We performed a multicentre, single-blind randomized controlled trial. In total, 480 patients with migraine were randomly assigned to one of four groups (Shaoyang-specific acupuncture, Shaoyang-nonspecific acupuncture, Yangming-specific acupuncture or sham acupuncture (control)). All groups received 20 treatments, which included electrical stimulation, over a period of four weeks. The primary outcome was the number of days with a migraine experienced during weeks 5 to 8 after randomization. Our secondary outcomes included the frequency of migraine attack, migraine intensity and migraine-specific quality of life. RESULTS: Compared with patients in the control group, patients in the acupuncture groups reported fewer days with a migraine during weeks 5 to 8, however the differences between treatments were not significant (p > 0.05). There was a significant reduction in the number of days with a migraine during weeks 13 to 16 in all acupuncture groups compared with control (Shaoyang-specific acupuncture versus control difference -1.06 (95% confidence interval (CI) -1.77 to -0.5), p = 0.003; Shaoyang-nonspecific acupuncture versus control difference -1.22 (95% CI -1.92 to -0.52), p < 0.001; Yangming-specific acupuncture versus control difference -0.91 (95% CI -1.61 to -0.21), p = 0.011). We found that there was a significant, but not clinically relevant, benefit for almost all secondary outcomes in the three acupuncture groups compared with the control group. We found no relevant differences between the three acupuncture groups. INTERPRETATION: Acupuncture tested appeared to have a clinically minor effect on migraine prophylaxis compared with sham acupuncture. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00599586.

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