Skip to main content

Table 1 Details of the acupoint and non-acupoint groups

From: Evaluating the prophylaxis and long-term effectiveness of acupuncture for migraine without aura: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Group

Acupoint

Manipulation

Individualized acupoint

(i) Fengchi (GB20)

(i) is punctured obliquely 0.8 to 1.2 cm toward to apex nasi

(ii) Shuaigu (GB8)

(ii) is punctured horizontally 0.5 to 0.8 cm

(iii) Waiguan (SJ5)

(iii) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm

(iv) Yanglingquan (GB34)

(iv) is punctured perpendicularly 1 to 1.5 cm

(v) Kunlun (BL 60)

(v) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 0.8 cm

(vi) Houxi (SI3)

(vi) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 0.8 cm

(vii) Hegu (LI4)

(vii) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm

(viii) Neiting (ST44)

(viii) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm

(ix) Taichong (LR3)

(ix) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm

(x) Qiuxu (GB40)

(x) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 0.8 cm

Non-acupoint control acupuncture

(i) At the medial arm on the anterior border of the insertion of the deltoid muscle at the junction of deltoid and biceps muscles

(i) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm

(ii) Half way between the tip of the elbow and axillae

(ii) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm

(iii) Ulnar side, half way between the epicondylus medialis of the humerus and ulnar side of the wrist

(iii) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm

(iv) Edge of the tibia 1 to 2 cm lateral to the Zusanli (ST36) horizontally

(iv) is punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm

  1. The individualized acupoint group Fengchi (GB20) and Shuaigu (GB8) are obligatory acupoints. GB20 will be punctured obliquely 0.8 to 1.2 cm toward apex nasi and GB8 horizontally 0.5 to 0.8 cm. Additional points can be chosen according to syndrome differentiation of meridians: (i) Shaoyang headache (headache only attacks the temporal side): Waiguan (SJ5) and Yanglingquan (GB34); SJ5 should be punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm and GB34 perpendicularly 1 to 1.5 cm; (ii) Taiyang headache (headache involving the occiput): Kunlun (BL 60) and Houxi (SI3); BL60 will be punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 0.8 cm and SI3 perpendicularly 0.5 to 0.8 cm; (iii) Yangming headache (headache involving the forehead): Hegu (LI4) and Neiting (ST44); LI4 is about to be punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm and ST44 perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm; (iv) Jueyin headache (headache involving the vertex): Taichong (LR3) and Qiuxu (GB40), LR3 is intended to be punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm and GB40 perpendicularly 0.5 to 0.8 cm.
  2. In the non-acupoint control group, the four non-points are: (i) at the medial arm on the anterior border of the insertion of the deltoid muscle at the junction of deltoid and biceps muscles; (ii) half way between the tip of the elbow and the axillae; (iii) ulnar side, half way between the epicondylus medialis of the humerus and ulnar side of the wrist; (iv) The edge of the tibia 1 to 2 cm lateral to the Zusanli (ST36) horizontally. All of the four non-points ought to be punctured perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cm.