PO-74 | Effectiveness of auricular acupuncture in the management of menstrual migraine: a pilot study

Sergio Sorrenti,^1,2 Matteo Ciuffreda,¹ Emanuele Pisello,¹ Luca Brugiaferri,² Azzurra Federici,² Cristiano Piangatelli,³ Dario Galante⁴ | ¹U.O.C. Anestesia Rianimazione Terapia del Dolore, AST Ancona, Fabriano (AN), Italy; ²Scuola di Specializzazione in Anestesia Rianimazione, Terapia Intensiva e del Dolore, UNIVPM, Ancona, Italy; ³Direttore U.O.C. Anestesia Rianimazione Terapia del Dolore, AST Ancona, Fabriano (AN), Italy; ⁴Direttore U.O.C. Anestesia e Rianimazione, Cerignola (FG), Italy

Abstract

Background: Menstrual migraine is a common condition affecting women of reproductive age, characterized by pulsating, moderate to severe headaches occurring in the two days prior to menstruation, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. Conventional treatment typically involves symptomatic use of NSAIDs and triptans. This study evaluates the efficacy of auricular acupuncture in reducing pain intensity and symptomatic medication use in women with regular menstrual cycles.

Methods: Twenty female patients aged between 25 and 45 years with a history of menstrual migraine (present in at least two out of three cycles) and regular menstrual cycles were enrolled. All participants had been using NSAIDs and triptans as needed. Auricular acupuncture was administered using sterile, single-use 0.2×40 mm needles inserted bilaterally at specific points: thalamus, migraine area, brain, sympathetic point, and gonadotropins. Each session lasted 20 minutes, performed approximately every three days, beginning one week before the expected menstruation and continuing until four days after its end. Treatment spanned three consecutive cycles.

Results: Patients reported a notable reduction in both migraine-related pain and the need for symptomatic medication. Evaluation using the MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment Scale) showed improvement across all subjects: prior to treatment, 13 patients had moderate disability (Grade 3) and 7 had severe disability (Grade 4); post-treatment, all patients demonstrated mild disability (Grade 2) during the three observed cycles.

Conclusion: Auricular acupuncture appears to be a safe and well-tolerated intervention for managing menstrual migraine, showing a significant reduction in symptom severity and medication use. These findings suggest its potential as a supportive non-pharmacological treatment in patients with regular menstrual cycles and established migraine patterns. Further controlled studies are warranted to confirm these preliminary outcomes.

Keywords

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