cupuncture. That's the new keyword for migraine headaches.

New research conducted by scientists at Germany's [Images] Center for Complementary Medicine Research suggests that those suffering from frequent migraine headaches get better when treated with acupuncture.

Led by Klaus Linde, the study consisted of a three-group, randomised, controlled trial (April 2002 to January 2003) involving 302 patients (88 percent women), with migraine headaches, based on the International Headache Society criteria.

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These patients were randomised to either acupuncture, sham acupuncture or no acupuncture at all.

Specialised physicians administered acupuncture and sham acupuncture over 12 sessions per patient over eight weeks.

The sham treatment consisted of needles placed at non-acupuncture points.

Patients were treated at 18 outpatient centres in Germany. Patients completed headache diaries from four weeks before to 12 weeks after randomisation; and from week 21 to 24 after randomisation.

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Findings for the acupuncture group: Between baseline and weeks 9 to 12, the average number of days with moderate or severe intensity headaches decreased by 2.2 days from a baseline of 5.2 days.

Findings for the sham acupuncture group: Headaches decreased to 2.2 days from a baseline of 5 days.

Findings for the no-acupuncture group: Headaches decreased to 0.8 days from a baseline of 5.4 days.

"Acupuncture was associated with the reduction of migraine headaches compared with no treatment. But the effects were similar to those observed with sham acupuncture. These may be due to non-specific physiological effects of needling, to a powerful placebo effect, or to a combination of both," said researchers.