Table 4.
Pairwise meta-analyses.
| Comparison | MD/SMD(95% CI) | Number of patients | Number of studies | I2 (%) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAS scores | |||||
| A vs. F | 1.06 (0.86 to 1.26) | 717 | 10 | 44 | 0.07 |
| A vs. C | 0.36 (−0.17 to 0.89) | 312 | 4 | 79 | 0.002 |
| A+H vs. C | 1.43 (1.06 to 1.81) | 154 | 2 | 0 | 0.32 |
| J vs. G | 1.28 (1.09 to 1.47) | 60 | 1 | - | - |
| A vs. L | 1.90 (0.58 to 3.22) | 45 | 1 | - | - |
| A+L vs. A | 0.80 (−0.82 to 2.42) | 45 | 1 | - | - |
| A+L vs. L | 2.70 (1.17 to 4.23) | 46 | 1 | - | - |
| I vs. F | 1.55 (−0.01 to 3.12) | 154 | 2 | 93 | 0.0002 |
| K vs. F | 4.50 (3.52 to 5.48) | 61 | 1 | - | - |
| G vs. F | 0.70 (0.16 to 1.24) | 163 | 1 | - | - |
| K vs. C | 2.40 (1.64 to 3.16) | 64 | 1 | - | - |
| G vs. C | 0.90 (0.66 to 1.14) | 286 | 1 | - | - |
| A vs. I | 0.72 (−0.42 to 1.86) | 35 | 1 | - | - |
| The number of migraine days | |||||
| A vs. F | 2.12 (0.35 to 3.90) | 1,441 | 9 | 96 | < 0.00001 |
| A vs. C | 0.83 (−0.04 to 1.70) | 980 | 6 | 69 | 0.006 |
| A vs. E | −0.12 (−1.03 to 0.79) | 13 | 1 | - | - |
| C vs. F | 0.60 (−0.00 to 1.20) | 647 | 1 | - | - |
| M vs. F | −2.00 (−7.62 to 3.62) | 12 | 1 | - | - |
| E vs. F | 1.43 (0.26 to 2.60) | 11 | 1 | - | - |
| G vs. F | 4.68 (−1.94 to 11.29) | 203 | 2 | 99 | < 0.00001 |
| D vs. C | 2.30 (0.46 to 4.14) | 36 | 1 | - | - |
| A vs. G | 0.09 (−0.96 to 1.14) | 42 | 1 | - | - |
| Duration of migraine | |||||
| A vs. F | 0.74 (0.45 to 1.04) | 195 | 5 | 0 | 0.49 |
| A vs. C | 0.32 (−0.08 to 0.73) | 230 | 3 | 56 | 0.10 |
| A vs. E | 15.78 (−2.54 to 34.10) | 13 | 1 | - | - |
| A+B vs. C | 4.10 (2.58 to 5.62) | 90 | 1 | - | - |
| A+B vs. A | 1.67 (0.09 to 3.25) | 90 | 1 | - | - |
| K vs. F | 6.10 (4.93 to 7.27) | 61 | 1 | - | - |
| E vs. F | 11.28 (−0.15 to 22.71) | 11 | 1 | - | - |
| K vs. C | 4.40 (0.79 to 8.01) | 64 | 1 | - | - |
| D vs. C | 22.10 (15.30 to 28.90) | 36 | 1 | - | - |
| G vs. C | 0.74 (0.41 to 1.07) | 218 | 1 | - | - |
| Frequency of migraine attacks | |||||
| A vs. F | 0.58 (0.22 to 0.94) | 897 | 9 | 83 | < 0.00001 |
| A vs. C | 0.32 (−0.38 to 1.02) | 297 | 4 | 88 | < 0.0001 |
| A+B vs. C | 1.39 (1.07 to 1.71) | 90 | 1 | - | - |
| A+B vs. A | 0.58 (0.23 to 0.93) | 90 | 1 | - | - |
| E+C vs. C | 0.10 (−0.36 to 0.56) | 98 | 1 | - | - |
| K vs. F | 5.60 (4.39 to 6.81) | 61 | 1 | - | - |
| G vs. F | −1.40 (−2.12 to −0.68) | 163 | 1 | - | - |
| G vs. C | 0.60 (0.48 to 0.72) | 218 | 1 | - | - |
| K vs. C | 2.00 (1.14 to 2.86) | 64 | 1 | - | - |
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.