Trial reportJournal of evidence-based medicine2025
The Prophylactic Effect of Acupuncture for Migraine Without Aura: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Clinical Trial.
Trial report in Journal of evidence-based medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Prophylactic Effect of Acupuncture for Migraine Without Aura: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Clinical Trial.Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2025Trial
- Mechanisms of Acupuncture on the Neurovascular Unit in Migraine: A Narrative Review.European journal of neurology · 2026Review
- Acupuncture modulates migraine-related neural and neuroendocrine regulatory pathways.The journal of headache and pain · 2026Review
- Acupuncture versus Sham Acupuncture for Migraine without Aura: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Electroacupuncture Improves Nitroglycerin-Induced Generalized Hypersensitivity Associated with a Migraine-Like State and Downregulates the CXCL13/CXCR5 Axis in the Trigeminal Ganglion.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveAcupuncture is recognized as an effective migraine treatment, but the comparative long-term efficacy of different acupuncture methods at identical acupoints remains unclear. This study investigates the prophylactic effects of manual acupuncture (manual penetrating acupuncture, MPA) versus sham acupuncture (non-penetrating acupuncture, NPA) at the same acupoints.
methodsIn this multicenter, single-blind randomized controlled trial conducted across four Chinese clinical centers (May 2020 to September 2022), 192 migraineurs without aura (International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition criteria) were randomized 1:1 to 12 sessions of MPA or NPA. Primary outcome was the change from baseline in migraine attack frequency at week 16; secondary outcomes included migraine attack frequency, responder rates, migraine days, and pain intensity (every 4 weeks), etc. Trial registration: No. ChiCTR2000032308.
resultsA total of 198 participants were randomly allocated to either MPA or NPA groups, 99 in each group. At 16 weeks, the change in MPA showed a greater reduction in migraine attacks versus NPA (mean difference [MD] = -0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.5 to 0.05; p = 0.069). MPA demonstrated superior responder rates (risk difference = 17.2%, 95% CI 5.2 to 29.1; p = 0.007) and pain reduction (MD = -0.6, 95% CI -1.1 to -0.2; p = 0.003) after treatment. At follow-up, MPA improved all migraine symptoms and some quality of life compared with NPA. Adverse events occurred in 5.1% of MPA participants.
conclusionsAlthough MPA and NPA showed comparable preventive effects, MPA provided sustained symptom relief and quality-of-life improvements. Therefore, suitable acupoint selection establishes therapeutic potential, whereas acupuncture methods critically determine long-term clinical benefits.
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