About this trial
A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted from October 2024 to May 2025. Chronic migraine patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either Laser acupuncture or sham treatment. The co-primary outcomes were changes in monthly migraine days (MMD) and acute headache medications usage days per month from baseline, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Beck's Depression Inventory(BDI) evaluation. Evaluations were taken at baseline and each follow-up point.
After \>6 months follow up as washing out time, the sham group received complementary laser acupuncture treatment and follow up for another 3 months, compared the Headache related parameters (onset, duration, pain scale, current medication for headache, menstrual cycle).
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
patients aged above 20 years old and had CM managed pharmacologically, including preventive and/or acute migraine medications, and in addition, those who had refused preventive agent despite recommendation of the neurologist;
patients who had unsatisfactory effect of current pharmacological treatments, defined as they self-reported
patients who had a minimum of one-year history of migraine with or without aura.
Disqualifiers
patients who had received another LA therapy or traditional acupuncture at baseline
migraine onset after the age of 50
cognitive or psychological impairment interfering with the participant's ability to receive LA protocol and describe symptoms
patients with missing data at baseline or during the follow-up period.
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Laser Acupuncture
- Sham