[Effects of acupuncture on plasma endogenous opioid peptides in patients with stroke-associated headache in...

To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture on patients with stroke-related headache during convalescent and analyze its related factors.

A total of 116 stroke-related headache patients admitted to the Acupuncture Department of Gongli Hospital of Pudong New Area, Shanghai, from October 2018 to December 2019 were divided into a treatment group and a control group according to a random number table, with 58 cases in each group. Patients in both groups were given conventional treatments for control of blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids and anticoagulation. At the same time, patients in the treatment group were treated with "nape seven needles" (acupuncture at Fengfu［GV16］, bilateral Fengchi［GB20］, bilateral Tianzhu［BL10］ and bilateral Wangu［GB12］)combined with penetration needling for 30 min; patients in the control group were treated with Flunarizine hydrochloride capsules (5 mg). Both interventions were conducted once daily for 4 weeks. The visual analogue scale(VAS) score and integrative sores of headache, and plasma serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), substance P (SP), α-endorphin (α-EP), and β-endorphin (β-EP) levels before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. The total therapeutic effective rate of the two groups was calculated.

There was no significant difference in VAS score, headache score, plasma 5-HT, DA, SP, α-EP, β-EP levels between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). After treatment, both groups have significant decrease in the VAS score, integrative sores of headache, the plasma 5-HT, DA, SP levels (P<0.05), and significant increase in the plasma α-EP and β-EP levels (P<0.05). At the same time, the VAS score, integrative sores of headache, the plasma 5-HT, DA, SP levels of the treatment group were lower (P<0.05), and the plasma α-EP and β-EP levels were higher (P<0.05) than those in the control group. The total effective rate of the treatment group(51/58, 87.9%) was higher than that of the control group (42/58, 72.4%, P<0.05).

Acupuncture therapy can increase the release of endogenous opioid peptide, reduce the secretion of 5-HT, DA, SP, and have a significant effect in treating stroke related headache.