Effectiveness and safety of scalp acupuncture for treating migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Migraine is a prevalent and disabling neurological disorder affecting a significant proportion of the global population. Although medications are the primary treatment option, their efficacy remains unclear. Thus, alternative therapies such as scalp acupuncture have gained momentum; however, evidence for the effectiveness of scalp acupuncture remains insufficient. Therefore, this review provides evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of scalp acupuncture for the treatment of migraines.
DESIGN
PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean Studies Information Service System, Korean Medical Database, NDSL, Citation Information by NII, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched from their inception to September 2022 to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) without language restrictions. Data were collected and analysed independently by two reviewers. The RoB 2.0 tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias, and a meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan software (V5.4).
SETTING
Eight RCTs including 874 patients were selected.
RESULTS
Scalp acupuncture had a higher total effective rate (relative risk [RR]:1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.08 to 1.43; P<0.01) than that of ordinary acupuncture. The headache index decreased significantly (standardised mean differences [SMD]:-1.27; 95% CI:-2.06 to -0.48; P<0.01), and the total effective rate was higher (RR:1.20; 95% CI:1.06 to 1.37; P<0.01) with scalp…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 874 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Antioxidant efficacy and the upregulation of Nrf2-mediated HO-1 expression by (+)-lariciresinol, a lignan isolated from Rubia philippinensis, through the activation of p38
- Anti-influenza virus activity of green tea by-products in vitro and efficacy against influenza virus infection in chickens
- Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and MSC-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
- The intratumoral administration of ferucarbotran conjugated with doxorubicin improved therapeutic effect by magnetic hyperthermia combined with pharmacotherapy in a hepatocellular carcinoma model
- Enhanced anticancer efficacy of TRAIL-conjugated and odanacatib-loaded PLGA nanoparticles in TRAIL resistant cancer
- In vivo tracking of bioorthogonally labeled T-cells for predicting therapeutic efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapy
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.