Efficacy of Acupuncture and Pharmacotherapy for Migraine Prophylaxis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Abstract
Purpose This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture compared to conventional oral medications for the prophylactic treatment of migraine, following the PRISMA guidelines. Methods Comprehensive searches of international and Chinese databases were conducted up to January 2024 using terms such as “migraine” and “acupuncture”. Two researchers independently screened studies and extracted data. Following the refinement of the inclusion criteria during the revision process, only studies focusing on the prophylactic treatment of migraine were included in the final analysis. The primary outcomes included migraine intensity, frequency of migraine attacks, number of migraine days, and the proportion of patients achieving at least a 50% reduction in migraine days. The secondary outcomes included migraine duration, the overall effective rate, and the overall effective rate at 6 months follow-up. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.3. Results Nineteen randomized controlled trials (2296 patients) were included. Compared to conventional medication, acupuncture was associated with greater reductions in frequency of migraine attacks (SMD = –0.17, 95% CI [–1.05, –0.37]; P < 0.0001), migraine intensity (MD = –1.48, 95% CI [–2.51, –0.46]; P = 0.005), number of migraine days (MD = –1.50, 95% CI [–2.52, –0.48]; P = 0.004), and migraine duration (SMD = –0.60, 95% CI [–0.81, –0.40]; P < 0.00001). A higher proportion of patients achieved at least…
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: 2,296 participants or records.
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