Acupuncture for episodic tension-type headache: a subject blind multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT)

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN18207278

Enrollment

Registered

2004-01-23

Start date

1997-03-03

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2015-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Tension-type headache Signs and Symptoms Other headache syndromes

Interventions

Participants received 6 weekly treatments with either standardised, brief needle acupuncture to between 4 and 8 relevant points, or sham acupuncture to non-tender points with a novel cocktail-stick pl

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Participants were recruited during consultation with GP, from disease registers or from notices in GP premises or local media.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Does not meet inclusion criteria

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Number of headaches 2. Intensity measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) 3. Duration of headaches 4. Number of analgesics taken Recorded by a daily headache diary	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Not provided at time of registration	—

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026