Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40841679›Full record

Trial reportJournal of evidence-based medicine2025

The Prophylactic Effect of Acupuncture for Migraine Without Aura: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Clinical Trial.

Mingsheng Sun, Chaorong Xie, Yanan Wang, Xuguang Yang, Linlin Dong, Taipin Guo, Xiaoqin Chen, Jing Luo, Yutong Zhang, Xixiu Ni and 4 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

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.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Mingsheng SunThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6748-5087
Chaorong XieThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Yanan WangThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Xuguang YangAcupuncture and Tuina Department, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.
Linlin DongDepartment of Neurology, Hospital of Sichuan Provincial People's, Chengdu, China.
Taipin GuoThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China.
Xiaoqin ChenRehabilitation Department, Chengdu Pidu District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Jing LuoDepartment of Acupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation, Southwest Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Luzhou, China.
Yutong ZhangThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Xixiu NiThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Lu LiuThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5653-9345
Jiao ChenThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Siyuan ZhouThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Ling ZhaoThe Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program 2019YFC1709701National Natural Science Foundation of China 82430124
6 · The paper itself

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.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyMigraine without AuraAcupuncture PointsAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSingle-Blind MethodTreatment Outcomemanual penetrating acupuncturemigraine without auranon‐penetrating acupuncturerandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID40841679
PMCPMC12506941

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.