Effect of Acupuncture on Mechanical Pain Thresholds in Patients with Migraine Without Aura
Objective:To observe whether there is pain sensitivity in Migraine Without Aura(MWoA)patients with Yintang(EX-HN3),Taiyang(EX-HN5),Dazhui(DU14),Baihui(DU20),Fengchi(GB20)and Jiache(ST6),and to compare the effect of acu-puncture via acupuncture points with that of comfort acupuncture points on the mechanical pain threshold of these acupuncture points,to explore the improvement of pain sensitivity in Migraine Without Aura patients by acupuncture and to provide a more scientific basis for clinical treatment.Methods:50 patients with MWoA were randomly divided into a meridian acupuncture group and a comfort acu-puncture group,and 25 healthy subjects were included as controls.The study period was 20 weeks in total,including a baseline period of 4 weeks,a treatment period of 4 weeks,and a follow-up period of 12 weeks.During the treatment period,treatment was given once every other day,three times a week,and 12 consecutive treatments.The primary outcome indicators were the mechanical pain thresh-olds of Yintang(EX-HN3),Taiyang(EX-HN5),Dazhui(DU14),Baihui(DU20),Fengchi(GB20),and Jiache(ST6)in patients at 0 and 4 weeks of enrollment and 12 weeks of follow-up;the secondary outcome indicators were the number of headache attacks,the de-gree of headache,and the duration of headache.Results:The mechanical pain thresholds of Baihui(DU20),Dazhi(DU14),and Fengchi(GB20)were lower in MWoA patients than in healthy subjects,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).At 4 weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of follow-up,the mechanical pain thresholds of Fengchi(GB20)and Dazhui(DU14)were higher in the patients in the meridian acupuncture group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);there was no significant difference in the comfort acupuncture group after 4 weeks of treatment and at 12 weeks of follow-up(P>0.05).The number of head-ache attacks,headache duration,and VAS scores decreased in the meridian acupuncture group at 4 weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of follow-up,which was statistically significant(P<0.05).VAS scores decreased in the comfort acupuncture group at 4 weeks of treat-ment and 12 weeks of follow-up;the number of headache attacks and headache duration were different at 12 weeks of follow-up(P<0.05).Conclusion:A certain degree of nociceptive sensitization exists in patients with MWoA,and acupuncture may have reduced pain sensitivity and improved headache attacks in patients with MWoA to some extent by increasing the mechanical pain domain of Fengchi(GB20)and Dazhui(DU14)in patients with MWoA;and it has a significant advantage over comfort acupuncture,which is meaningful in reducing nociceptive sensitization in patients with MWoA.
Migraine without auraMechanical pain sensitizationAcupuncture analgesiaMechanical pain thresholdClinical re-search