Photo Credit: MarkFGD
The following is a summary of “Efficacy of Acupuncture-Related Therapy for Migraine: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis,” published in the March 2024 issue of Pain by Liu et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study summarizing and expanding upon previous research, updating existing evidence, and comparing the efficacy of different acupuncture therapies for migraine, aiming to strengthen clinical practice and promote wider use of acupuncture in migraine treatment.
They thoroughly and systematically searched 9 databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, WANFANG, and VIP Data. Observation indicators included Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, migraine attack frequency, duration, days of attack, and adverse effects.
The results showed 34 research papers involving 3,365 individuals with migraines, acupuncture therapy outperformed medication in reducing VAS scores (MD=−1.29, 95% CI=[−1.67,-0.92]) and demonstrated superior efficacy in decreasing migraine attack frequency (MD=−1.95, 95% CI=[−3.06,-0.85]), attack duration (MD=−3.29, 95% CI=[−4.65,-1.93]), and days of attack (MD=−1.02, 95% CI=[−1.58,-0.47]). Variations in acupuncture methods and migraine types influenced results, with specialized acupuncture techniques ranking highest in VAS score reduction (SUCRA=98.3%) and blood-letting and cupping proving most effective in reducing attack frequency. Acupuncture combined with medication emerged as the most effective approach in shortening attack duration (SUCRA=81.2%), while acupuncture alone showed superiority in decreasing migraine days (SUCRA=80.3%). Adverse effects were documented in 14 studies, with 4 reporting no adverse effects in the test group.
Investigators concluded that various acupuncture techniques appeared more effective than traditional treatments for migraines, but patient-specific care remains crucial.
