Discussion on the Mechanism of Acupuncture on Patients with Paroxysmal Migraine Without Aura : a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Migraine is common but poorly managed with drugs. Acupuncture, a non-pharmacological approach, has shown promise, yet its mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to assess the efficacy and specificity of acupuncture for acute paroxysmal migraine without aura. Methods: A randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial will recruit 60 patients from Tongji Hospital, China. Patients will receive 20 sessions of Deqi or sham acupuncture over 4 weeks and be followed for 8 weeks. Treatments will occur twice within 4 hours of headache onset. Primary outcome is complete headache remission within 120 minutes after two treatments without analgesics. Secondary outcomes include headache intensity reduction, remission rates, and adverse events. Blind assessment will be conducted after at least one session. Data will be analyzed using full and per-protocol sets. Ethics: Approved by the Clinical Trial Ethics Committee (approval no: TJ-IRB20220573). Written consent will be obtained. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.