A comparative study on the treatment of migraine headache with combined distant and local acupuncture points versus conventional drug therapy

According to Chinese medicine, the differential diagnosis of migraine headache may be classified based on the state of the viscera, channels and collaterals. In this study, acupuncture treatment prescriptions combining distant and local acupoints were selected according to the differential diagnosis. Sixty-four patients were divided into two equal groups: one group received acupuncture, and the other group underwent conventional drug treatment.

The efficacy rates in the acupuncture and control groups were as follows, respectively: Cure: 75% versus 34.4%, marked improvement: 18.8% versus 28.1%, no effect: 6.3% versus 37.5%. The overall effective rates for the acupuncture and control groups were 93.8% and 62.5%, respectively, indicating a significantly greater effect in the acupuncture group (P < 0.01, x = 13.475).