Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine

Migraine is recognized worldwide as a highly prevalent headache disorder that manifests in attacks lasting from four to 72 hr. The severity of the attacks vary from irritating to debilitating and usually impacts a person's normal daily activities. Typical headache symptoms described by sufferers include pain that is unilateral, is associated with nausea, photophobia, or phonophobia, pulsating in nature and is aggravated by routine physical activity (International Headache Society, 2013). Migraine is sub-classified into episodic (fewer than 15 days withmigrainous headaches permonth) and chronic (more than 15 dayswithmigrainous headaches permonth). Themajority of people with migraine can be suitably managed by treatment that addresses the acute headache. Some individuals that suffer from attacks that are more frequent or insufficiently controlled by acute therapy require prophylactic interventions. Medications such as sodium valproate, metoprolol, and topiramate have been beneficial in reducing the frequency of attacks in some people (Dodick & Silberstein, 2007; Linde, Mulleners, Chronicle, & McCrory, 2013a; Linde, Mulleners, Chronicle, & McCrory, 2013b). However, these medications are associated with adverse effects and the dropout rates in most clinical trials suggest that thesemedications are not tolerated well by patients. Therefore, low-risk interventions for prophylactic treatment of migraine require further investigation. Acupuncture is the needling of specific points of the body and is an intervention that is often used for the relief of headache (Burke, Upchurch, Dye & Chyu, 2006). Studies have illustrated that acupuncture in the short term effects a range of various physiological variables similar to analgesia (Endres, Diener &Molsberger, 2007). Acupuncture as a treatment is widely used and yet, the effectiveness of this intervention in relation to episodic migraine is still debated.