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RecruitingNCT06398353Updated May 7, 2024

Investigating the Impact of Acupuncture on the Quality of Life of Primitive Headaches Patients

An interventional study of Real acupuncture and Sham acupuncture in Headache Migraine, sponsored by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-05-07.

Sponsored by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jan 2024; still recruiting 2 years 8 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
120
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Primary headache is one of the most common neurological diseases in modern society, which seriously affects the patient's quality of life. Although the use of painkillers can alleviate primary headache symptoms, it may also cause drug dependence. Therefore, alternative therapies that do not rely on drugs have attracted increasing attention in recent years. Among them, acupuncture has been partially recognized by the public as an effective treatment for primary headaches. However, there is currently no scientific evidence that acupuncture is effective for primary headaches. The purpose of this project is to verify the effect of acupuncture in treating primary headaches. This study has three sub-projects:

Subproject 2 explores the impact of acupuncture on headache severity and quality of life in patients with primary headaches. We evaluate the quality of life before and after acupuncture treatment through professional questionnaires, including the Numerical rating scale (NRS), headache diary, depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21), health quality of life measurement questionnaire, Migraine Disability Assessment Scale and SF-36 Taiwan version. Finally, these data will be combined with the pulseway analysis from the results of sub-project 1 to provide a comprehensive way to evaluate the treatment effect.

Read the detailed description

In this study, 120 subjects who already suffered from headache symptoms (such as dizziness, heavy head, lightheadedness, head fullness, migraine) were treated with acupuncture at acupuncture points, and the pulse diagnosis instrument was used to capture the subjects' symptoms during acupuncture. The pulse waves before and after are collected, compared and analyzed to complete this test.

After the subjects are accepted, they will go to the Acupuncture and Traumatology Department of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taoyuan Branch) at an agreed time for health education and filling out questionnaires. After filling out the questionnaire, participants can reserve a time for the test.

One person is tested each time, and each test lasts 70-80 minutes. Pulse waves are collected for 20 minutes before and after the test. The acupuncture treatment plan for each subject in this study was based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and published literature. The acupuncture points selected were bilateral Cuanzhu, Taiyang, Tianzhu, Fengchi, Baihui, Hegu, Neiting, Zusanli, Waiguan, and Zulin. Qi, Houxi, Shenmai, Taichong. The doctor will select the above 4-6 acupoints according to the disease. It is divided into an acupuncture group and a sham acupuncture group. Before the experiment, first fill out the questionnaire. This trial is divided into an acupuncture group and a sham acupuncture group. A crossover design is adopted. 50% of the subjects will be assigned to the acupuncture group first. Then they will be connected to the sham acupuncture group, and the other 50% of the subjects will be assigned to the sham acupuncture group first and then the acupuncture group. Each group will last for two weeks, and acupuncture will be performed twice a week at the set acupuncture points. The first group of acupuncture will end. , will be interrupted for two weeks, and then another set of tests will be conducted, and then the patient will go to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Taoyuan Branch for the final scale and quality of life questionnaire. The total trial period was eight weeks.

While undergoing the test, try to avoid taking Chinese and Western medicines and alcoholic beverages to avoid interfering with the study. (If participants usually take antihypertensive drugs and heart drugs, participants can continue to take them.) After the test, participants should drink more warm water and get enough rest. Do not take a shower or touch or drink cold things.

02

Conditions studied

  • Headache Migraine

Keywords

  • Headache
  • Migraine
03

In context

Migraine Disorders

1,558 studies on the registry are indexed under Migraine Disorders; 301 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 120 is above the median of 80 across 1,197 interventional studies indexed under Migraine Disorders.

Browse Migraine Disorders studies →

Lead sponsor

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital is the lead sponsor of 1,091 studies on the registry; 238 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Willing to sign a written subject consent form
  2. Male or female over 18 years old
  3. Those who have headaches (for example: dizziness, heavy head, dizziness, head fullness, migraine), those who have headaches more than twice a week, and whose NRS score is ˃ 4.
  4. Headache definition: Headache symptoms are classified according to the ICHD-3 headache classification of the International Headache Organization, and are mainly primary headaches.

Dr. Chang ,Y.-J. and Dr. Yang ,C.-C. help to exclude headache patients with the following exclusion conditions to reduce the risk to subjects.

Exclusin Criteria

  1. Pregnant women
  2. Various acute and chronic infectious diseases, various skin ulcers, sores, burns, etc.
  3. The patient has injuries to the radial artery or wrist, or has steel nails, plates, or fractures.
  4. Various types of headaches related to anatomical structural lesions
  5. Headaches associated with taking or withdrawing from substances (drugs, food, or other chemicals)
  6. Headaches related to non-head infections and metabolic diseases
  7. People with painful cranial neuropathy, other facial pain and other headaches
  8. People with secondary headaches according to ICHD-3 beta
  9. Other patients who have been evaluated by physicians as not suitable for inclusion in the evaluation.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
120 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    acupuncture

    Other: Real acupuncture · Other: Sham acupuncture

  • Sham comparator
    sham acupuncture

    Other: Real acupuncture · Other: Sham acupuncture

Interventions

  • OtherReal acupuncture

    Real acupuncture twice a week for two weeks

  • OtherSham acupuncture

    Sham acupuncture twice a week for two weeks

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Numerical rating scale

    Numerical rating scale (NRS) is the most commonly used pain intensity assessment tool at home and abroad. A straight line that is actually 10 centimeters, marked with "0" on the far left and "10" on the far right. Explain to the patient that "0" means no pain and "10" means very painful. The pain level increases from left to right, so that the patient can Draw vertically with a pen a few centimeters where the pain feels and record it in centimeters. You can also simply explain to the patient orally the meaning represented by "0" to "10" and let the patient rate it (verbal rating).

    Time frame: 2 minutes

  2. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21),

    The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), also known as the "Self-Rating Emotion Scale" is a self-report scale that effectively assesses depression, anxiety and stress levels of the general population; it has 21 questions in total and takes time About 5 minutes. Although this scale cannot replace professional clinical diagnosis, nor can it be used as a basis for diagnosis alone, it has a significant screening effect on minor mental health problems.

    Time frame: 7minutes

  3. Europe health-related quality of life questionnaire 5 dimensions (EQ-5D)

    Europe health-related quality of life questionnaire 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) is a preference-based health life quality measurement tool. It includes 5 self-classifier questions and 0 - Two parts including a 100-point self-assessment scale for current health status.

    Time frame: 7minutes

  4. The headache diary

    The headache diary is to record your own headache diary every day, which can make it easier to communicate with the doctor about your pain condition and help the doctor treat primary headaches.

    Time frame: 20minutes

  5. Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire (MIDAs)

    Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire (MIDAs) In 1999, Stewart and Lipton proposed the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire (MIDAs). This scale mainly consists of five questions, asking the patient to recall the impact of migraine on schoolwork or work, household affairs, and family, social or leisure activities during the past three months. This questionnaire is also used in Japan, Upper Turkey, Italy and other countries because it is simple and easy to use and has good reliability, validity and objectivity evaluation.

    Time frame: 7minutes

  6. The Taiwan Short Form 36 Health Scale (SF-36)

    The Taiwan Short Form 36 Health Scale (SF-36) is a widely used health-related quality of life questionnaire and is also used by people with different cultural backgrounds. Research results show that SF36 has been proven to have good reliability and validity regardless of the diagnosis, age, and gender of the test subjects, and it can also sensitively detect changes before and after treatment without falling. Therefore, this study uses SF36 as the outcome measurement tool for this study.

    Time frame: 20minutes

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
    Taoyuan, Select A State 333323, Taiwan
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 7, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06398353
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 3, 2024
Start date
Jan 31, 2024
Primary completion
Jun 1, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
May 31, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
May 7, 2024

Study contacts

Chien-Chung YANG
Contact
r55161@cgmh.org.tw
03-3196200 ext. 2610
Chien-Chung YANG
study director · Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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