title: Role of Acupuncture in the Treatment or Prevention of Migraine, Tension-Type Headache, or Chronic Headache Disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the current evidence that evaluates the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment or prevention of migraine, tension-type headache, and chronic headache disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Findings from selected systematic reviews and meta-analyses are summarized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recently published systematic reviews and meta-analyses demonstrate that acupuncture is associated with improved clinical outcomes compared to routine care only, medical management, and sham acupuncture 2 months after randomization. The evidence in support of acupuncture's comparative effectiveness at longer follow-up periods is mixed. Cost effectiveness analyses conducted in the United Kingdom and Germany suggest that acupuncture is a cost-effective treatment option in those countries. There are few or no cost-effectiveness studies of acupuncture in the United States.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This brief review of the current, published evidence does not include a discussion of potential risks or adverse events associated with acupuncture. There is also the question of the extent to which placebo effects might contribute to acupuncture's clinical effectiveness. From a purely comparative effectiveness perspective, however, the evidence from clinical trials and meta-analyses makes a compelling case in support of a potentially important role for acupuncture as part of a treatment plan for patients with migraine, tension-type headache, and several different types of chronic headache disorders.
authors.affiliation: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Remy R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Coeytaux
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Befus
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: acupuncture; chronic daily headache; headache disorders; migraine; tension-type headache