"True" acupuncture reduces migraine frequency, number of days with migraine, and pain intensity compared with "sham" acupuncture and being wait-listed for acupuncture, a randomized trial shows.
These are some of the "several benefits" of acupuncture for patients with headache shown in this study, said author Fanrong Liang, MD, Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan, China.
The acupuncture treatment was not associated with any serious adverse events, and the effects persisted for 20 weeks after the treatment sessions, said Dr Liang.
The study, published online February 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine, included 249 patients who had migraine without aura whose headaches began before age 50 years. They had to have experienced migraines for at least a year and had acute migraine attacks 2 to 8 times a month for 3 months.
