Table 5.
MAs outcomes about headache situation.
| Study ID | Outcome | Acute or preventive treatment | Intervention | Control | Follow-up time | RCTs (n) | I2 | Model | Scale | Effect | 95% CI | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linde et al. [14] | Headache frequency | NR | Acupuncture | ① | 3-4 months after randomization | 4 (2087) | 44% | REM | SMD | −0.43 | [−0.60, −0.27] | <0.00001 |
| Headache days | 3-months after randomization | 3 (2064) | 12% | REM | MD | −2.09 | [−2.60, −1.58] | <0.00001 | ||||
| Analgesic use | 2 months after randomization | 2 (218) | 0% | REM | SMD | −0.29 | [−0.59, 0.01] | 0.057 | ||||
| 3-4months after randomization | 4 (581) | 92% | REM | SMD | −0.52 | [−1.22, 0.18] | 0.15 | |||||
| Headache frequency | ② | 2 months after randomization | 6 (895) | 57% | REM | SMD | −0.23 | [−0.49, 0.04] | 0.09 | |||
| 3-4months after randomization | 8 (1012) | 57% | REM | SMD | −0.18 | [−0.44, 0.07] | 0.16 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 5 (932) | 55% | REM | SMD | 0.01 | [−0.25, 0.28] | 0.92 | |||||
| >6 months after randomization | 4 (150) | 0% | REM | SMD | 0.11 | [−0.22, 0.43] | 0.52 | |||||
| Migraine attacks | 2 months after randomization | 4 (327) | 21% | REM | MD | −0.35 | [−0.74, 0.04] | 0.079 | ||||
| 3-4 months after randomization | 5 (360) | 40% | REM | MD | −0.11 | [−0.51, 0.30] | 0.61 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 4 (321) | 51% | REM | MD | 0.15 | [−0.36, 0.65] | 0.57 | |||||
| >6 months after randomization | 4 (150) | 0% | REM | MD | 0.30 | [−0.10, 0.71] | 0.14 | |||||
| Migraine days | 2 months after randomization | 5 (864) | 65% | REM | MD | −0.80 | [−1.70, 0.11] | 0.084 | ||||
| 3-4 months after randomization | 6 (951) | 52% | REM | MD | −0.27 | [−0.98, 0.45] | 0.46 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 5 (928) | 37% | REM | MD | −0.17 | [−0.82, 0.47] | 0.60 | |||||
| >6 months after randomization | 4 (140) | 0% | REM | MD | 0.35 | [−0.90, 1.60] | 0.59 | |||||
| Headache days | 2 months after randomization | 2 (240) | 43% | REM | MD | −0.47 | [−2.31, 1.36] | 0.61 | ||||
| 3-4 months after randomization | 2 (238) | 21% | REM | MD | −0.12 | [−1.41, 1.17] | 0.86 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 2 (233) | 38% | REM | MD | −0.07 | [−1.66, 1.52] | 0.93 | |||||
| Analgesic use | 2 months after randomization | 5 (368) | 0% | REM | SMD | −0.08 | [−0.29, 0.14] | 0.50 | ||||
| 3-4 months after randomization | 7 (455) | 74% | REM | SMD | −0.27 | [−0.71, 0.16] | 0.21 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 6 (410) | 94% | REM | SMD | −0.56 | [−1.57, 0.46] | 0.28 | |||||
| >6 months after randomization | 5 (171) | 0% | REM | SMD | 0.02 | [−0.30, 0.35] | 0.89 | |||||
| Headache frequency | Preventive treatment | Acupuncture | ③ | 2 months after randomization | 3 (553) | 0% | REM | SMD | −0.24 | [−0.40, −0.08] | 0.003 | |
| 3-4 months after randomization | 4 (780) | 0% | REM | SMD | −0.26 | [−0.41, −0.11] | 0.00008 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 3 (714) | 0% | REM | SMD | −0.20 | [−0.35, −0.05] | 0.010 | |||||
| Migraine attacks | 2 months after randomization | 2 (241) | 0% | REM | MD | −0.49 | [−0.91, −0.08] | 0.020 | ||||
| 3-4 months after randomization | 3 (316) | 0% | REM | MD | −0.32 | [−0.59, −0.04] | 0.025 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 2 (237) | 78% | REM | MD | −0.47 | [−1.22, 0.28] | 0.22 | |||||
| Migraine days | 2 months after randomization | 2 (503) | 0% | REM | MD | −0.58 | [−1.09, −0.07] | 0.025 | ||||
| 3-4 months after randomization | 2 (553) | 0% | REM | MD | −0.70 | [−1.23, −0.17] | 0.0090 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 2 (564) | 0% | REM | MD | −0.66 | [−1.18, −0.13] | 0.014 | |||||
| Analgesic use | 2 months after randomization | 2 (241) | 28% | REM | SMD | −0.22 | [−0.53, 0.08] | 0.15 | ||||
| 3-4 months after randomization | 2 (239) | 0% | REM | SMD | −0.08 | [−0.33, 0.18] | 0.56 | |||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 2 (237) | 0% | REM | SMD | −0.09 | [−0.35, 0.17] | 0.49 | |||||
|
| ||||||||||||
| Linde et al. [24] | Headache frequency | ① | Median 3 months | 4 (1199) | 7% | FEM | SMD | −0.56 | [−0.65, −0.48] | <0.00001 | ||
| ② | Median 3 months | 12 (1646) | 47% | FEM | SMD | −0.18 | [−0.28, −0.08] | 0.0004 | ||||
| Median 12 months | 9 (1534) | 59% | FEM | SMD | −0.19 | [−0.30, −0.09] | 0.0003 | |||||
| ③ | Median 3 months | 3 (739) | 0% | FEM | SMD | −0.25 | [−0.39, −0.10] | 0.001 | ||||
| Median 12 months | 3 (744) | 0% | FEM | SMD | −0.13 | [−0.28, 0.01] | 0.08 | |||||
|
| ||||||||||||
| Gao et al. [20] | Headache days | NR | Acupuncture | ② | After treatment | 3 (775) | 45% | FEM | MD | 0.18 | [−0.38, 0.73] | 0.54 |
| After follow-up | 3 (839) | 59% | FEM | MD | −0.17 | [−0.69, 0.35] | 0.53 | |||||
|
| ||||||||||||
| Pu [24] | Migraine days | Preventive treatment | Acupuncture | ③ | 3-4 months after randomization | 4 (755) | 3% | FEM | SMD | −0.30 | [−0.45, −0.16] | <0.0001 |
| 5-6 months after randomization | 2 (564) | 0% | FEM | SMD | −0.66 | [−1.18, −0.13] | 0.01 | |||||
| Migraine frequency | 3-4 months after randomization | 3 (316) | 0% | FEM | MD | −0.32 | [−0.59, −0.04] | 0.03 | ||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 2 (237) | 78% | REM | MD | −0.47 | [−1.22, 0.28] | 0.22 | |||||
| Analgesic use | 3-4 months after randomization | 4 (388) | 83% | REM | SMD | −0.34 | [−0.85, 0.17] | 0.20 | ||||
| 5-6 months after randomization | 3 (321) | 0% | FEM | SMD | −0.22 | [−0.44, 0.00] | 0.06 | |||||
|
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| Song et al. [26] | Headache times | Preventive treatment | Acupuncture with or without placebo | ③ with or without placebo | Long-term (ND) | 2 (164) | 42% | FEM | MD | −0.79 | [−1.39, −0.20] | 0.009 |
∗NR: not reported; ND: not defined; ①: no acupuncture; ②: sham acupuncture; ③: drug treatment; FEM: fixed effects model; REM: random effects model.