Electroacupuncture for tension-type headache on distal acupoints only: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the efficacy of electroacupuncture, applied to distal acupoints only, for tension-type headache.


BACKGROUND
Electroacupuncture is commonly used for tension-type headache, but when applied to distal acupoints only, evidence of its efficacy is lacking.


METHODS
A randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled, crossover clinical trial. Methods.-The trial had 5 stages: baseline (2 weeks), phases I and II (each 4 weeks), washout period (2 weeks), and follow-up (3 months after phase II). Forty patients were randomly assigned to either group A or group B. Group A received real electroacupuncture during phase I, then sham electroacupuncture in phase II. Group B received the treatments in reverse order. Outcome measures were headache frequency and duration, pain intensity using a visual analog scale, mechanical pain threshold, headache disability, and sickness impact. Data were analyzed by univariate 2-way analysis of variance.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven patients completed the trial. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups at baseline. At the end of phase I, group A, but not group B, demonstrated significant improvement in mean (standard error of the mean [SEM]) headache frequency (3.0 per month [0.3] versus 12.0 per month [1.7]), duration (13.3 hours [3.5] versus 32.0 hours [6.2]), pain intensity (32.8 mm [4.1] versus 47.5 mm [2.7]), pain threshold (right side, 2.9 kg/second [0.1] versus 0.9 kg/second [0.1]; left side, 2.4 kg/second [0.1] versus 1.1 kg/second [0.1]), headache disability score (6.0 [1.0] versus 16.3 [1.6]), and sickness impact score (288.7 [48.0] versus 687.1 [77.2]). For each parameter, significant differences also were demonstrated for both groups between baseline and phase II, and baseline and follow-up. There were no significant differences between the groups at the end of follow-up (P >.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Electroacupuncture to distal points alone is effective for short-term symptomatic relief of tension-type headache.
Xue
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CC
RMIT Chinese Medicine Research Group, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
Dong
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L
Polus
B
B
English
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RA
Zheng
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Z
Da Costa
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C
Li
C G
CG
Story
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DF
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome