Abstract:

Migraine is an important cause of disability characterized by recurrent headaches, frequently affecting the young productive population. It decreases the quality of life in association with the frequency of acute attack. Pharmacological or non-pharmacogical therapies are used in the treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a non-pharmacogical therapy in patients with migraine. Materials and Methods: 35 patients diagnosed as having migraine (mean age, 38.9±11.0 years) were included in the study. The acupuncture was performed one session in a week, lasting 30 minutes, sum of 10 sessions. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment Scale), SF-36 (Short Form-36), BDI (Beck Depression Inventory), and count of intake medication for acute pain relief was assessed at the baseline and 3rd months. Results: VAS pain scores decreased significantly at 3rd months after acupuncture treatment (4.4±1.3) compared to baseline (8.2±1.3) (p=0.005). In addition, the number of intake medications for acute pain relief was significantly decreased (before treatment, 8.7±6.4; after treatment 2.1±1.7; p 0.001). The significant improvement for MIDAS and BDI scores were found after the treatment (for both p 0.001). Significant increase was shown in SF-36 parameters (p 0.05). No severe adverse effect was detected. Conclusion: Acupuncture may have positive effects on pain, count of intake medication, disability, depression and quality of life in migraine. Acupuncture as an effective modality with low side effect profile may be considered among nonpharmacogical options in the treatment of migraine.

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