Acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care: large, pragmatic, randomised trial.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of a policy of "use acupuncture" on headache, health status, days off sick, and use of resources in patients with chronic headache compared with a policy of "avoid acupuncture."


METHODS
Randomised, controlled trial.


METHODS
General practices in England and Wales.


METHODS
401 patients with chronic headache, predominantly migraine. Interventions Patients were randomly allocated to receive up to 12 acupuncture treatments over three months or to a control intervention offering usual care.


METHODS
Headache score, SF-36 health status, and use of medication were assessed at baseline, three, and 12 months. Use of resources was assessed every three months.


RESULTS
Headache score at 12 months, the primary end point, was lower in the acupuncture group (16.2, SD 13.7, n = 161, 34% reduction from baseline) than in controls (22.3, SD 17.0, n = 140, 16% reduction from baseline). The adjusted difference between means is 4.6 (95% confidence interval 2.2 to 7.0; P = 0.0002). This result is robust to sensitivity analysis incorporating imputation for missing data. Patients in the acupuncture group experienced the equivalent of 22 fewer days of headache per year (8 to 38). SF-36 data favoured acupuncture, although differences reached significance only for physical role functioning, energy, and change in health. Compared with controls, patients randomised to acupuncture used 15% less medication (P = 0.02), made 25% fewer visits to general practitioners (P = 0.10), and took 15% fewer days off sick (P = 0.2).


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture leads to persisting, clinically relevant benefits for primary care patients with chronic headache, particularly migraine. Expansion of NHS acupuncture services should be considered.
Vickers
Andrew J
AJ
Integrative Medicine Service, Biostatistics Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, NY, NY 10021, USA. vickersa@mskcc.org
Rees
Rebecca W
RW
Zollman
Catherine E
CE
McCarney
Rob
R
Smith
Claire M
CM
Ellis
Nadia
N
Fisher
Peter
P
Van Haselen
Robbert
R
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014852:Wales