Treatment of patients with chronic headaches in a hospital for traditional Chinese medicine in Germany. A randomised, waiting list controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effectiveness of a clinical treatment program with traditional Chinese medicine for migraine and tension-type headache.


METHODS
Ninety-one patients with migraine, episodic or chronic tension-type headache according to the criteria of the International Headache Society were randomised into an experimental or a waiting list control group. Patients in the experimental group were treated 4 weeks in a hospital for traditional Chinese medicine after a baseline period of one month. Patients in the waiting list group continued their previous headache treatment. Main outcome measure was the difference in the number of days with headache of at least moderate intensity during baseline (month 1) and month 7.


RESULTS
The difference in the number of days with headache of at least moderate intensity was 5.6 (S.D., 6.1) days in the experimental group and 1.2 (S.D., 4.5) days in the waiting list group (P <0.001). A reduction of more than 50% in headache days was observed in 52% of the patients in the experimental group and 16% in the waiting list group. Patients with migraine and a combination of migraine and episodic tension-type headaches improved more than patients with other headaches.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that treatment in the hospital for traditional Chinese medicine in Kotzting is associated with lasting improvements in the majority of patients.
Melchart
Dieter
D
Department of Internal Medicine II, Centre for Complementary Medicine Research, Technische Universität München, Kaiserstr. 9, 80801 Munich, Germany.
Hager
Stefan
S
Hager
Ulrich
U
Liao
Jiazhen
J
Weidenhammer
Wolfgang
W
Linde
Klaus
K
D026881:Acupuncture; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006743:Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal