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How effective is acupuncture in reducing headache frequency in adults with episodic or chronic tension-type headache?
Acupuncture, added to routine care or treatment of headaches only on onset (usually with analgesics), in 2 large trials resulted in 48% of participants having headache frequency at least halved, compared with 17% in those given routine care only. In 6 trials comparing acupuncture with sham acupuncture, headache frequency halved in 52% of participants receiving acupuncture compared with 43% receiving sham acupuncture. Overall, the quality of the evidence was moderate.
Long-term effects (beyond 4 months) were not investigated in the trials involving routine care. In those involving sham acupuncture, the effect of true acupuncture was still present after 6 months.
Acupuncture is often used for prevention of tension-type headache but its effectiveness is still controversial.
Linde K et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of tension-type headache. Cochrane Reviews, 2016, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD007587.DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD007587.pub2. This review contains 12 studies involving 2349 participants.
Pharmacist prescribers Linda Bryant and Leanne Te Karu discuss positive polypharmacy for heart failure. Current evidence shows the intensive implementation of four medications offers the greatest benefit to most patients with heart failure, with significant reductions in cardiovascular mortality, heart failure hospitalisations and all-cause mortality
