Acupuncture of chronic headache disorders in primary care: randomized controlled trial and economic analysis

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of a policy of using acupuncture compared with a policy of avoiding acupuncture, on headache in primary care patients with chronic headache disorders. The effects of acupuncture on medication use, quality of life, resource use and days off sick in this population and the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture were also examined.

The study included 401 patients with chronic headache disorder, predominantly migraine. Patients were randomly allocated to receive up to 12 acupuncture treatments over 3 months or to a control intervention offering usual care

RESULTS: Headache score at 12 months, the primary end-point, was lower in the acupuncture group than in controls. Patients in the acupuncture group experienced the equivalent of 22 fewer days of headache per year. The data favored acupuncture, although differences reached significance only for physical role functioning, energy and change in health. Compared with controls, patients randomized to acupuncture used 15% less medication, made 25% fewer visits to GPs and took 15% fewer days off sick.

Vickers AJ, Rees RW, Zollman CE, McCarney R, Smith CM, Ellis N, Fisher P, Van Haselen R, Wonderling D, Grieve R

Integrative Medicine Service, Biostatistics Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA

Health Technol Assess. 2004 Nov;8(48):iii, 1-35

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Autonomic Remodeling by Sympathovagal Modulation Using Acupuncture in Coronary Heart Disease Patients

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Puja K. Mehta MD1, Donna Polk MD MPH2, Ning Li PhD3, Jeannette Painovich DAOM L.Ac1, Kamlesh Kothawade MBBS1, Joan Kirschner RN1, Yi Qiao1, Xiuling Ma PhD1, Yii-Der Ida Chen PhD4, Anna Brantman DAOM, LAc1, Chrisandra Shufelt MD MS1, Margo Minissian NP1, C. Noel Bairey Merz MD1 1Women’s Heart Center, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Los Angeles, CA; 2Division of Cardiology, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT; 3Biostatistics Core, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA; 4Molecular Biochemistry and Steroid Chemistry Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.

Abstract:

We conducted a randomized, single-blind trial of traditional acupuncture (TA) vs. sham acupuncture (SA) vs. waiting control (WC) in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients to evaluate cardiac autonomic remodeling by sympatovagal modulation measured by heart rate variability (HRV) using traditional acupuncture. Compared to SA, TA beneficially modulates HRV in a clinically relevant effect size for prevention of sudden cardiac death. These data document feasibility and provide sample size estimation for an outcome-based clinical trial of TA in CHD patients.

Professionals of the Tower Acupuncture Group are excited about this new study of acupuncture in coronary heart disease patients. There is increasing evidence of how it saves people’s lives.