[Heat-sensitive moxibustion for migraine without aura: a randomized controlled trial]

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Neurology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Migraine without aura is a prevalent neurological disorder impacting quality of life.
• Current treatments offer variable efficacy and potential side effects.
• Moxibustion, a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is explored for migraine management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical effectiveness of heat-sensitive moxibustion versus standard mild moxibustion for treating migraine without aura.
• To evaluate the impact of both moxibustion techniques on migraine symptom severity, pain intensity, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 54 patients diagnosed with migraine without aura.
• Participants were assigned to either a control group (mild moxibustion) or an observation group (heat-sensitive moxibustion).
• Standard Western medication was used alongside moxibustion; treatment involved daily sessions over two courses, with specific acupoints selected based on heat sensitivity in the observation group.

Main Results:

• Both treatment groups showed significant reductions in migraine symptom scores and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores (P<0.01).
• Both groups experienced significant improvements in migraine-specific quality of life (MSQ) scores (P<0.01).
• The heat-sensitive moxibustion group demonstrated superior outcomes with lower symptom and VAS scores (P<0.05) and higher MSQ scores (P<0.01) compared to the mild moxibustion group. The total effective rate was 92.0% versus 72.0% (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Both heat-sensitive and mild moxibustion are effective in alleviating clinical symptoms and improving quality of life for patients with migraine without aura.
• Heat-sensitive moxibustion exhibits superior clinical efficacy compared to standard mild moxibustion in managing migraine without aura.