A Meta-analysis of Acupuncture's Improvement of Mood Disorders, Pain and Quality of Life in Migraine Patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in improving emotional disorders (such as anxiety and depression), pain intensity, headache frequency, and quality of life in patients with migraines. A particular focus is placed on acupuncture's ability to alleviate migraine pain (assessed through VAS scores), reduce the frequency of headache attacks, and improve specific emotional disorders.

METHODS: This study searched PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture treatment for migraine patients published from January 2000 to June 2023. The inclusion criteria included migraine patients aged between 18-65 years who experienced at least 4 headache attacks per month. Exclusion criteria were patients with severe cardiovascular diseases or known allergic reactions to acupuncture. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software.

RESULTS: A total of 15 studies involving 2121 migraine patients were included. Compared to the control group, acupuncture combined with medication showed no significant difference in improving the latest SAS score (P = .32) and the latest SDS score (P = .63). However, acupuncture was more effective in improving patients' VAS score (P < .03), SF-36 score (P = .004), number of headache days (P = .02), headache score (P < .001), and MSQ score (P < .001).

CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and moxibustion in improving the SAS and SDS scores of migraine patients were similar to Western medication and sham acupuncture, but they were more effective in reducing VAS score, MSQ score, headache days, and headache score than sham acupuncture and Western medication treatments. However, due to the limited number of studies included in this research, more high-quality randomized controlled trials are still needed to further strengthen the evidence base in evidence-based medicine.