Acupuncture May Be Useful for Migraines

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Acupuncture May Be Useful for Migraines: Acupuncture May Have Potent

Placebo Effect, Like Many Complex Medical Procedures, Say Researchers

By Salynn Boyles

May 3, 2005 -- Study after study has shown acupuncture to be effective in

treating a host of different ailments, but new research is raising questions

about why the ancient Chinese practice works.

Patients in the study suffering from frequent migraine headaches got better

when treated with acupuncture. But acupuncture was found to be no more

effective than so-called " sham " treatment, in which acupuncture needles were

placed in areas of the body that are not believed to be active acupuncture

points.

" The theory that acupuncture works because the needles are placed in very

specific spots hasn't been proven to be the case in this study, " researcher

Klaus Linde, MD, tells WebMD. " It may make a difference for other conditions

like osteoarthritis, but for migraines it doesn't seem to matter where the

needles are placed. "

In both groups the average number days per month with moderate to severe

headaches declined from roughly five to three.

The new study is published in the May 4 issue of The Journal of the American

Medical Association.

Ancient and Modern Theories

According to traditional Chinese belief, acupuncture targets a life force known

as qi (pronounced " chee " ), usually described as the normal functional energy

associated with all living processes. It is thought that more than 200 specific

acupuncture points exist along the pathway in which this energy must travel

for good health. Imbalances in this vital life energy are said to result in

disease.

The view of Western medicine is somewhat different. Modern science

professes that acupuncture needles may stimulate nerves, altering messages

from the brain and spinal cord. Acupuncture treatment is believed to promote

the release of endorphins -- the body's natural pain relievers -- and other

neurotransmitters like serotonin.

In the newly reported study, researchers from Munich, Germany's Center for

Complementary Medicine Research randomly assigned 302 patients who

suffered from frequent migraine headaches to receive either traditional

acupuncture, " sham " acupuncture, or no acupuncture at all.

Both acupuncture groups underwent 12 sessions over eight weeks, and both

groups reported the same decline in moderate or severe headache days in

the month after the treatment ended. Roughly half of all patients who received

acupuncture treatment reported at least a 50% reduction in headache days,

compared with 15% of the nonacupuncture patients.

Treatment Not a Sham

The study is not the first to find " sham " acupuncture to be as effective as the

real thing. While it is not clear why, Linde says there are probably both

physical and psychological factors involved.

It has been suggested that hands-on therapies that involve repetitive stimuli

like acupuncture and massage can alter the perception of pain.

The benefits may also be derived from the patient's belief that acupuncture

works -- the so-called " placebo effect " -- and the ritual associated with

treatment, Linde says.

Acupuncture expert Wayne, PhD, says the impact of the hands-on

interaction between the patient and the acupuncture provider can't be

underestimated. Most acupuncture sessions take around 30 minutes, far

longer than the average patient sees a doctor during a routine office visit.

Wayne is research director of the New England School of Acupuncture in

Watertown, Mass.

" There are some very creative studies under way right now examining the

effect of the interaction between patients and their practitioners, " he tells

WebMD. " In conventional medicine the time spent with a doctor is getting

shorter and shorter, and we don't really understand the implications of this. "

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SOURCES: Linde, K. The Journal of the American Medical Association, May

4, 2005; vol 293: pp 2118-2125. Klaus Linde, MD, Center for Complementary

Medicine Research, Technische University, Munich, Germany. Wayne,

PhD, director of research, New England School of Acupuncture, Watertown,

Mass.