A comparative study on the treatment of migraine headache with combined
distant and local acupuncture points versus conventional drug therapy.
Shuyuan G, Donglan Z, Yanguang X
Heilongjiang Academy of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, People's Republic of
China.
[Medline record in process]
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. RESULTS: 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).