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Acupuncture for migraine and headache in primary care: a pragmatic, randomised trial
ISRCTN ISRCTN96537534
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier
Public title Acupuncture for migraine and headache in primary care: a pragmatic, randomised trial
Scientific title
Acronym N/A
Serial number at source HTA 96/40/15
Study hypothesis Acupuncture is widely if inconsistently used in primary care, particularly for the treatment of pain. Migraine and headache are common conditions which incur high health, economic and social costs. There is evidence from randomised trials which suggests that acupuncture is superior to placebo in the treatment and prophylaxis of headache and migraine. We aim to conduct a 'pragmatic' randomised trial comparing the policy of 'use acupuncture' to that of 'avoid acupuncture' in 400 headache and migraine patients recruited in primary care. The acupuncture treatment will be given by appropriately trained physiotherapists.

Such a trial design aims to reflect the real world of clinical practice so as to provide a test of service as it is provided and thus ease implementation of the results. The information provided by the trial, for example, on resource use and effect sizes, will be more applicable to the NHS than that from a placebo-controlled trial. The use of chartered physiotherapists ensures high standards of clinical competence: simpler integration of the service in the NHS: established channels for inter-disciplinary liaison and appropriate treatment, especially in cases where acupuncture might not be appropriate. Our overall question will be: what are the effects of an acupuncture service provided by physiotherapists in primary care on pain, well-being, days off work and resource use in patients with migraine or headache?
Ethics approval Not provided at time of registration
Study design Randomised controlled trial
Countries of recruitment United Kingdom
Disease/condition/study domain Headache and migraine
Participants - inclusion criteria Headache and migraine patients in primary care
Participants - exclusion criteria Not provided at time of registration.
Anticipated start date 01/10/1998
Anticipated end date 31/05/2002
Status of trial Completed
Patient information material
Target number of participants 401
Interventions 1. Acupuncture
2. Standard care
Primary outcome measure(s) Pain, well being, days off work and resource use
Secondary outcome measure(s) Not provided at time of registration.
Sources of funding NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme - HTA (UK)
Trial website
Publications 2004 results in: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15023828
Contact name Mr  Andrew  Vickers
  Address Integrative Medicine
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre
1275 York Avenue
  City/town New York
  Zip/Postcode 10021
  Country United States of America
  Tel +1 212 639 6556
  Fax +1 212 794 5851
  Email vickersa@MSKCC.org
Sponsor Department of Health (UK)
  Address Quarry House
Quarry Hill
  City/town Leeds
  Zip/Postcode LS2 7UE
  Country United Kingdom
  Email Sheila.Greener@doh.gsi.gov.uk
  Sponsor website: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm
Date applied 25/04/2003
Last edited 26/08/2009
Date ISRCTN assigned 25/04/2003
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