Table 1.
Main characteristics of the included studies.
| Study ID and Country | Sample size (Treatment Group/ Control Group) | Age: mean (SD) or range (Treatment Group/ Control Group) | Interventions | Adverse events reported (Treatment Group/ Control Group) | Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment Group | Control Group | |||||
| Nie et al. (33), China | 45/45 | 38.2 (5.1)/ 38.9 (5.0) |
A+B | |||
| 45/45 | 39.1 (4.8)/ 38.9 (5.0) |
A | C | None | ③, ④ | |
| Zhao et al. (34), China | 18/18 | 35.6 (4.9)/ 36.6 (7.6) |
D | C | None/lassitude, emotional change, weight gaining | ②, ③ |
| Yu and Salmoni (35), Canada | 7/5 | 22–52 | A | F | NR | ②, ③ |
| 6/5 | E | |||||
| Zhao et al. (36), China | 83/80 | 36.4 (14.2)/ 39.1 (14.6) |
G | F | Tingling sensation (3), swelling of the left ankle (1), subcutaneous hemorrhage (1)/Subcutaneous hemorrhage (1) | ①, ②, ④ |
| Li et al. (37), China | 32/32 | 37.3 (9.5)/ 36.9 (9.3) | A+H | C | NR | ① |
| Bicer et al. (38), Turkey | 29/25 | 33.76 (7.82)/ 32.0 (9.1) | A | C | NR | ①, ②, ③, ④ |
| Wang et al. (39), Australia | 26/24 | 41.6 (14.9)/ 43.8 (13.4) |
A |
F |
Dizziness (4), Bruising (3), Pain (3), Cold and sweaty (8), Tingling (11), Recurrent headache (7), Mild spasm in the calf muscle (1)/Dizziness (3), Bruising (1), Pain (2), Cold and sweaty (5), Tingling (1), Recurrent headache (2) | ②, ③ |
| Zhao et al. (40), China | 40/40 | 33.35 (11.69)/ 33.23 (9.73) | A | F | dizziness and sweating (1), minor hemorrhage (2)/ minor hemorrhage (2) | ②, ④ |
| Li et al. (41), China | 56/56 | 41.84 (14.21)/ 39.65 (12.83) | A | F | Fainted (3), nausea and vomiting (1), mild bleeding and hematoma (4), pain and distention (1) | |
| Diener et al. (42), Germany | 313/339 | 37.1 (10.5)/ 38.3 (10.4) |
A | F | serious adverse events (5)/serious adverse events (5)/serious adverse events (1) | ② |
| 313/308 | 37.1 (10.5)/ 36.8 (10.4) |
C | ||||
| Musil et al. (43), Czech Republic | 42/44 | 45.6 (12.8)/ 46.5 (10.3) | A | C | Facial hematoma (1) | ①, ②, ③ |
| Farahmand et al. (44), Iran | 30/30 | 18–65 | I | F | NR | |
| Xu and Mi (45), China | 49/49 | 38.4 (10.7)/ 39.2 (11.3) | E+C | C | NR | ④ |
| Wang et al. (46), China | 19/19 | 30 (6)/ 31 (7) | A | F | NR | ③, ④ |
| Safonov and Naprienko (47), Russia | 22/20 | 18–63 | A | F | NR | ② |
| 20/20 | G | |||||
| Li et al. (48), China | 12/13 | 21.75 (1.65)/ 21.38 (1.05) | A | F | NR | ④ |
| Li et al. (49), China | 13/11 | 21.00 (1.68)/ 21.18 (0.98) | A | F | NR | ④ |
| Feng (50), China | 30/30 | 45 (8)/ 44 (8) |
J | G | None | ① |
| Wang et al. (51), China | 32/32 | 31 (10)/ 33 (9) |
K | C | NR | ①, ③, ④ |
| Hou et al. (52), China | 42/19 | 41.0 (9.1)/ 41.7 (8.8) |
K | F | Ethereal pain in local skin (1)/ None | ①, ③, ④ |
| 1 Foroughipour et al. (53), Iran | 50/50 | 35.8 (10.9)/ 37.2 (11.2) |
A | F | NR | ④ |
| Wang et al. (54), China | 75/75 | 37.8 (10.6)/ 38.6 (12.6) |
A | F | Bleeding in a few acupoints (3)/ bleeding in a few acupoints (2), fatigue (2) | ① |
| Wallasch et al. (55), Germany | 18/17 | 37.2 (9.6)/ 39.3 (11.7) |
A | F | NR | ③ |
| Ferro et al. (56), Brazil | 22/23 | 40.6 (9.1)/ 37.3 (8.6) | A+L | L | NR | ① |
| 22/23 | 38.2 (7.4)/ 37.3 (8.6) | A | ||||
| Ceccherelli et al. (57), Padova | 18/17 | 42.1 (4.4)/ 41.8 (4.6) |
A | I | NR | ① |
| Yang et al. (58), China | 33/33 | 48.3 (6.3)/ 48.3 (7.1) |
A | C | None/somnolence (6) and nausea (5). | ② |
| Zhong et al. (59), China | 114/104 | 29.7 (5.2)/ 30.2 (4.5) |
G | C | None/somnolence (1), hypodynamia (1), mild edema (1) | ③, ④ |
| Zhou et al. (60), China | 146/140 | 41.9 (12.3)/ 43.1 (12.7) |
G | C | None/somnolence, red complexion | ① |
| Linde et al. (61), Germany | 145/81 | 43 (29–59) | A | F | NR | ②, ④ |
| Streng et al. (62), Germany | 59/55 | 40.0 (11.4)/ 40.3 (10.7) |
A | C | Mild adverse therapy effects | ②, ④ |
| Linde et al. (63), Germany | 145/81 | 43.3 (11.8)/ 41.3 (10.2) |
A | F | Fatigue (6), hematoma (4)/ Fatigue (1), hematoma (2) | ②, ④ |
| Allais et al. (64), Italy | 46/48 | 15–60/ 16–58 |
I | F | NR | ① |
| Lavies (65), Britain | 6/6 | NR | M | F | NR | ② |
| Xu et al. (66), China | 58/60 | 36.6 (12.0)/ 36.0 (10.9) |
A | F | Dermorrhagia (2), Sharp pain (1), Palpitation (2)/ None | ①, ②, ④ |
| Zhang et al. (67), China | 69/64 | 43.26 (11.87)/ 43.56 (11.60) |
A | C | NR | ① |
| Meng et al. (68), China | 30/30 | 32.65 (12.73)/ 30.09 (13.39) |
A | F | NR | ①, ③, ④ |
| Xu and Wang (69), China | 30/30 | 45.07 (2.34)/ 50.80 (1.89) |
A | F | None | |
| Yang et al. (70), China | 20/19 | 34.5 (3.3)/ 31.4 (2.8) |
A | C | Dermorrhagia (7)/Somnolence (3), Constipation (2), Depression (1), Myalgia (1) | ②, ④ |
| Song et al. (71), China | 45/45 | 35.4 (3.1)/ 36.1 (2.3) |
A+H | C | None/Fatigue (32), Burning sensation in the stomach (2) | |
A, conventional acupuncture; B, massage; C, analgesic; D, embedding needle therapy; E, acupressure; F, placebo; G, electroacupuncture; H, cupping; I, auricular acupuncture; J, acupoint implantation; K, acupoint injection; L, traditional chinese medicine; M, laser acupuncture. NR, not reported; ①, VAS scores; ②, the number of migraine days; ③, duration of migraine; ④, frequency of migraine attacks.