A trial to prove the efficacy of acupuncture as a therapeutic support in pharmacological prophylaxis for migraine and tension-type headache. Pilot study

Importance: the effectiveness of acupunture as a therapeutic support in pharmacological prophilaxis for migraine and tension-type headache. Objective: to define the role of acupuncture in the treatment and prophylaxis of various types of migraine by measuring the effects it produces in preventing the disease, reducing symptoms and their prolongation over time. Design, setting and partecipants: this work, which may be considered a pilot study, provides the clinical results obtained in a period of four months from September 2018 to September 2019. The 42 participants, recruited from patients of the Headache Center of the Neurology Unit of Sant'Anna University Hospital of Ferrara, were randomly divided into two groups. Group A received pharmacological prophylaxis (Control group), while Group B undertook pharmacological prophylaxis and acupuncture (Experimental group). Interventions: The control group took medication for four months, while the experimental group received a twice-weekly treatment of eight-twenty minutes acupuncture sessions every two weeks. Main outcome and measures: all participants were examined before the start of prophylaxis (T0), after two months (T1) and after four months (T2). They were asked to evaluate the daily progress of their psycho-physical conditions in a diary, from which it emerged that the practice of acupuncture reduced not only the frequency and intensity of daily attacks, but also the use of analgesics, revealing a prolongation of the positive effects for four months. Results: Group B showed a significant reduction in the Henry Ford Headache Disability Inventory - beta (β-HDI) score in both the second and fourth month compared to Group A, with a similar pattern emerging for the Migraine Disability Assessment Score (MIDAS). Likewise, an improvement in physical conditions and a decrease in pain were recorded as far as the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) scale was concerned. Conclusions and relevance: this study shows that acupuncture is a valid supportive therapy for pharmacological prophylaxis of migraine and tension-type headache.