Somatic acupuncture versus ear acupuncture in migraine therapy: a randomized, controlled, blind study

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Medicine
• Neurology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Migraine without aura is a prevalent neurological condition impacting quality of life.
• Acupuncture, including somatic and ear techniques, is explored as a non-pharmacological treatment option.
• Comparative studies on the long-term efficacy of different acupuncture modalities for migraine are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical effectiveness of somatic acupuncture versus ear acupuncture for treating migraine without aura.
• To evaluate pain severity, pain threshold, and mood variations in patients undergoing these acupuncture treatments.
• To assess the short-term and long-term outcomes of both treatment groups.

Main Methods:

• A randomized study involving 35 patients with migraine without aura, divided into somatic and ear acupuncture groups.
• Both groups received weekly treatments for 8 weeks with manual needle stimulation.
• Pain was assessed using the Migraine Index, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and pain threshold tests; mood was evaluated with Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale before, during, and after treatment, with follow-ups at 1, 3, and 6 months.

Main Results:

• Both somatic and ear acupuncture significantly reduced pain immediately post-treatment, with no significant difference between groups.
• During the 6-month follow-up, somatic acupuncture showed significantly lower residual pain (16.80%) compared to ear acupuncture (48.83%) (p=0.038).
• Both treatments led to significant mood improvements, with no notable differences between the groups.

Conclusions:

• While both somatic and ear acupuncture offer comparable short-term relief for migraine without aura, somatic acupuncture appears more effective for sustained pain management.
• Somatic acupuncture demonstrated superior long-term efficacy in reducing residual pain up to six months post-treatment.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate the mechanisms behind the differential long-term effects.