Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
10:39

3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache

Published on: June 2, 2014

Acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis.

Klaus Linde1, Gianni Allais, Benno Brinkhaus

  • 1Centre for Complementary Medicine Research, Department of Internal Medicine II, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Wolfgangstr. 8, Munich, Germany, 81667. Klaus.Linde@lrz.tu-muenchen.de

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|January 23, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Patient Engagement With an Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes Tool Evaluating Hospital Discharge Readiness After Cancer Surgery.

JCO oncology practice·2026
Same author

Use of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine in Berlin: baseline results from a substudy of the German National Cohort (NAKO).

BMJ public health·2026
Same author

Nerve Blocks for Mastectomy with Reconstruction: Reply.

Anesthesiology·2026
Same author

ASO Visual Abstract: Identifying Predictors of Delayed Ambulation After Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Oncology Surgery.

Annals of surgical oncology·2026
Same author

AI model predicts patient outcomes from surgical gestures and provides insights into explainability.

npj digital surgery·2026
Same author

Identifying Predictors of Delayed Ambulation After Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Oncology Surgery.

Annals of surgical oncology·2026
Same journal

Interventions for smoking cessation in inpatient psychiatry settings.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Mechanical thromboprophylaxis for preventing intradialytic hypotension in people undergoing maintenance haemodialysis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Prognostic models for predicting intensive care unit admission or mortality in critically ill adults not yet been admitted to the intensive care unit.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Views and experiences of weight management for people living with mobility‑limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities or severe mental illness: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety and depression in Parkinson's disease.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Biologic drugs for induction and maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease: a network meta-analysis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
See all related articles

Acupuncture is effective for migraine prophylaxis, offering benefits over routine care and fewer side effects than drug treatments. While not superior to sham acupuncture, it

Area of Science:

  • Integrative Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Pain Management

Background:

  • Migraine prophylaxis often involves acupuncture, but its efficacy remains debated.
  • This review updates a previous Cochrane review, incorporating new trial data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate acupuncture's effectiveness for migraine prophylaxis compared to no treatment, sham acupuncture, and other interventions.
  • To assess acupuncture's impact on headache frequency and related outcomes in migraine patients.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to January 2008.
  • Included 22 RCTs with 4419 participants comparing acupuncture with various controls.
  • Extracted data on response rates, migraine attacks, headache days, and analgesic use; used random-effects models.

More Related Videos

Investigating Migraine-Like Behavior Using Light Aversion in Mice
05:23

Investigating Migraine-Like Behavior Using Light Aversion in Mice

Published on: August 11, 2021

Dural Stimulation and Periorbital von Frey Testing in Mice As a Preclinical Model of Headache
05:40

Dural Stimulation and Periorbital von Frey Testing in Mice As a Preclinical Model of Headache

Published on: July 29, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
10:39

3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache

Published on: June 2, 2014

Investigating Migraine-Like Behavior Using Light Aversion in Mice
05:23

Investigating Migraine-Like Behavior Using Light Aversion in Mice

Published on: August 11, 2021

Dural Stimulation and Periorbital von Frey Testing in Mice As a Preclinical Model of Headache
05:40

Dural Stimulation and Periorbital von Frey Testing in Mice As a Preclinical Model of Headache

Published on: July 29, 2021

Main Results:

  • Acupuncture significantly improved response rates and reduced headaches compared to no prophylactic treatment or routine care.
  • No statistically significant difference was found between true acupuncture and sham acupuncture, though individual trial results varied.
  • Acupuncture showed comparable or better outcomes with fewer adverse effects than prophylactic drug treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Consistent evidence supports acupuncture's additional benefit for migraine prophylaxis when used with routine care or for acute attacks.
  • Acupuncture is a viable treatment option, potentially more effective and safer than prophylactic drug therapy.
  • The study suggests acupuncture should be considered for patients seeking migraine management.