Background: Migraine is a primary headache that is usually treated with analgesic, prophylactic, and biologic medications. Treatment is more effective when combined with non-pharmacologic neuromodulation methods such as acupuncture. The primary aim of the study was to determine the difference in pain intensity reduction when selecting acupuncture points on the affected channels compared to selecting established points. The secondary aim of the study was to deter-mine the difference between the two groups in the number of migraine days, the impact of headache on work ability and overall well-being, the use of analgesics, and absence from work before the start of treatment and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the completion of acupuncture treatment.
Methods: The prospective, randomized study involved 44 adult patients. Established local points were selected in the control group, while selection in the experimental group was based on the affected channels. Follow-up 1, 3, and 6 months after acupuncture treatment was conducted by telephone. Data were collected using the HIT-6 and MIDAS questionnaires.
Results: The pain scale was lower in the experimental group at 1 month (p = 0.03) after treatment and 3 months (p = 0.01) after treatment. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of days with migraine, MIDAS and HIT-6 scores, medication consumption, and sick days.
Conclusions: Selecting acupuncture points based on the affected channels proved to be more effective than selecting established local points in reducing pain levels at 1 and 3 months
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