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4 May 2005
Tests Show Acupuncture To Be Ineffective 
Migraine, a disabling condition that typically manifests itself as a severe pulsating headache, affects around 17 percent of women. Treatment with beta-blockers, calcium antagonists or other agents has been shown to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, however, the success of treatment is usually modest. Acupuncture is widely used for preventing migraine attacks although its effectiveness has not been fully established. Now, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that acupuncture treatment for migraine headaches may be only as effective as non-acupuncture needle treatment. The trial was conducted in Germany by Dr. Klaus Linde, of the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research. He and his colleagues investigated whether acupuncture reduced headache frequency more effectively than sham acupuncture or no acupuncture in patients with migraines. The study consisted of a three-group trial involving 302 patients (88 percent women) with an average age of 43 years. Patients were randomized to receive either acupuncture, sham acupuncture (needles placed at non-acupuncture points), or control. The acupuncture and sham acupuncture treatments were administered by specialized physicians and consisted of 12 sessions per patient over 2 months. The researchers found no difference between the acupuncture and the sham acupuncture groups, while there was a difference between the acupuncture group compared with the waiting list group. "In conclusion, in our trial, acupuncture was associated with a reduction of migraine headaches compared with no treatment; however, the effects were similar to those observed with sham acupuncture and may be due to nonspecific physiological effects of needling, to a powerful placebo effect, or to a combination of both," the researchers conclude.
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