OBJECTIVE: To identify the key outcome indexes in treatment of migraine with acupuncture and moxibustion. METHODS: Using literature research, questionnaire survey and consensus conference, the key outcome indexes in treatment of migraine with acupuncture and moxibustion were screened and prioritized. RESULTS: The critical outcome indexes for the treatment in attack stage of migraine included 6 effectiveness outcome indexes (headache intensity, headache duration, headache relieve time, effectiveness and level of headache relief within 2 h, headache-related quality of life, level of headache relief within 24 h) and 1 safety outcome index (incidence of serious adverse reactions). The critical outcome indexes for prophylactic treatment included 6 effectiveness outcome indexes (headache day, headache frequency, headache intensity, effective rate, headache-related quality of life, health-related quality of life) and 1 safety outcome index (incidence of serious adverse reactions). CONCLUSION In terms of the attack stage treatment and prophylactic treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion, the outcome indexes are different, among which, those can directly reflect the conditions of migraine should be optioned in priority. To assess the effectiveness of attack stage, the headache intensity is preferred, using the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and the preferred time is 2 hours after treatment. Regarding the effectiveness of prophylactic treatment, the headache day, headache frequency and headache intensity should be firstly considered in the assessment, in which, the preferred time for assessment is 12 weeks into treatment, while, the best time for follow-up should be 12 weeks after treatment completion. When the quality of life is considered, the migraine-specific quality of life questionnaire (MSQ) is the top option. For either the attack stage treatment or the prophylactic treatment, the high attention should be laid on the outcome indexes for safety and medical economics evaluation.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Headache/therapy*

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of acupuncture on no-premonitory migraine at remission stage.

METHODSThe scores of pain extent, attack times, lasting time and accompanied symptoms of headache were investigated before treatment and after treatment of 4 weeks.

RESULTSAfter treatment of 4 weeks, the scores of all items had significant changes (P < 0.01). The total effective rate was 95.0%.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture has obvious analgesic effect on no-premonitory migraine at remission stage.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion combined with conventional acupuncture for episodic cluster headache (CH). METHODS: One hundred and eighty patients with episodic CH were randomly divided into a combined group (60 cases, 3 cases dropped off)，an acupuncture group (60 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a sphenopalatine ganglion group (60 cases, 2 cases dropped off and 1 case was removed). The patients in the acupuncture group were treated with conventional acupuncture at Touwei (ST 8), Yintang (GV 24⁺), Yangbai (GB 14), Hegu (LI 4), etc., once a day, 6 times a week. The patients in the sphenopalatine ganglion group were treated with acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion, once every other day, 3 times a week. On the basis of the conventional acupuncture, the combined group was treated with acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion once every other day. Two weeks were taken as a course of treatment, and 3 courses of treatment were required in the 3 groups. The score of visual analogue scale (VAS), the number of headache attacks per week, the duration of each headache attack and the score of migraine-specific quality of life questionnaire version 2.1 (MSQ) were observed before and after treatment and in follow-up of 3 months after treatment. The clinical efficacy of each group was compared. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, the VAS score of headache, the number of headache attacks per week, the duration of each headache attack, and each various scores and the total score of MSQ of each group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01). Except that the number of headache attacks per week in the combined group was lower than the sphenopalatine ganglion group (P<0.01), other indexes in the combined group were lower than the other two groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total effective rate in the combined group was 93.0% (53/57), which was higher than 75.9% (44/58) in the acupuncture group and 73.7% (42/57) in the sphenopalatine ganglion group（P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION Acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion combined with conventional acupuncture could reduce the degree of pain in patients with episodic CH, reduce the number and duration of headache attacks, and improve the quality of life of patients. It is more effective than simple conventional acupuncture or acupuncture at sphenopalatine ganglion alone.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Cluster Headache/therapy* ; Headache/therapy* ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

The manipulation and key points of professor
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Headache/therapy* ; Humans ; Needles ; Post-Traumatic Headache

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Headache ; therapy ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo study effects of a combined regime of auricular-plaster and body acupuncture in treatment of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type and make a preliminary revelation of the mechanism.

METHODSNinety-two patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, the treatment group (n = 56) received the combined regime of auricular-plaster and body acupuncture, and the control group (n = 36) received treatment with body acupuncture. Clinical symptoms and signs, therapeutic effect and some indexes about vertebrobasilar hema-kinetics and hema-rheology were investigated before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe treatment group was better than the control group in the clinical overall effective rate (89.29%) and the clinically control rate (17. 85%), and in improving the following indexes, including dizziness and headache, the vertebrobasilar volume and rate of blood flow etab and IR (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSA combined regime of auricular-plaster and body acupuncture ameliorates not only main signs but also some indexes about vertebrobasilar hema-kinetics and hema-rheology. This treatment is an effective therapy for cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type both in Malaysia and in China.

Through collecting the prescriptions for headache treated with acupuncture in Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic) till the Qing Dynasty, the literature traceability research is undertaken to determine the extant literature documents with the earliest recorded acupuncture prescriptions and identify the repeated ones in later generations; and then, the acupoint use frequency in the earliest recorded literature of acupuncture prescriptions in the extant documents and acupuncture treatment verses is analyzed separately. It is found that the most of acupoints of high use frequency are overlapped between such two kinds of literature. By integrating and classifying the same or similar contents of acupuncture prescription articles between headache and migraine, the common characteristics and acupoint selections are extracted, the regularity of acupoint selection is explored in view of etiology, complication and affected location, and the attributed fourteen meridians are analyzed statistically in terms of the acupoints in the earliest recorded prescriptions. Finally, the experience of ancient medical masters in acupuncture treatment for headache is obtained.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Headache/therapy* ; Humans ; Meridians ; Prescriptions

Tension-type headache is now the term used to describe headaches that have previously been grouped under various ill-defined headings, such as 'tension headache', 'stress headache' and 'muscle contraction headache'. Tension-type headaches are characterized by a pain that is mild to moderate in severity, bilateral in distribution, pressing or tightening in quality, and are not accompanied by major systemic disturbances or neurological signs. Tension-type headaches, the most prevalent from of headaches, are differentiated as being either episodic or chronic, Very little research on this disease has actually been carried out, and knowledge about key pathophysiological issues, such as the nature and site of the noxious stimulus, is limited. As a result of this and the lack of scientific interest for this from of headache in the medical field, the treatment is non-specific. However, it is suggested that a peripheral mechanism of tension-type headache be involved in the episodic form, whereas a secondary central sensitization and/or an impaired supraspinal modulation of incoming stimuli be involved in subjects with the chronic from. While most people with tension-type headaches experience mild, infrequent episodes, so that they do not regard the headache as a disease, a monority have chronic and often daily symptoms. The understanding of the balance between peripheral and central components in tension-type headache may lead us to a better prevention and treatment of this most prevalent type of headaches. This article presents a review on the drug therapy of tension-type headaches in adults.
Adult ; Central Nervous System Sensitization ; Drug Therapy* ; Head ; Headache ; Humans ; Tension-Type Headache*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of hand acupuncture therapy on headaches in children. METHOD: A quasi experimental pre-test and post (1,2,3)-test design was used. Data were collected from March 2 to April 16 2001. Forty children were assigned to an experimental (20) or control group (20). The experimental group received Hand-Acupuncture therapy on the meridian point; A30, A31, A32, A33, E8, I2, M2, M3, M5, B25, B26, B27 for each 3 minutes, while the control group rested on a bed. Data were analyzed using the SAS program with chi2-test, t-test, repeated measured ANOVA, and ANCOVA. RESULT: In the experimental group, descriptive headache intensity (f=64.33, p=0.00), numeric headache intensity (F=74.69, 122.50, 7.52. p=0.00), and medication requirements (chi2=19.00, p=0.00) were significantly lower than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that hand acupuncture therapy is effective for reduction of headaches. Therefore, hand acupuncture therapy can be considered an independent nursing intervention for reducing headaches in children.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Child* ; Hand ; Headache* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Child Health

Migraine is the most common disabling primary headache with a significant socioeconomic burden. At present, some emerging drugs for migraine preventive treatment are under investigation internationally, which significantly promote the progress of migraine treatment. However, only few of this trial for migraine treatment are explored in China. In order to promote and standardize controlled clinical trials of migraine preventive therapy in China, and to provide methodological guidance for the design, implementation and evaluation of clinical trials, the Headache Collaborators of Chinese Society of Neurology formulated this consensus.
Humans ; Adult ; Consensus ; Migraine Disorders/therapy* ; Headache ; China ; Neurology