A Case Report of Chronic Migraine Lasting 30 Years and Treated with Acupuncture

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to report the effectiveness of Korean medicine in the treatment of chronic migraine persisting for 30 years. This patient had been taking various painkillers (acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, caffeine hydrate, etc.) every day for 30 years.Methods: The patient with chronic migraine was treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture treatment was performed on the gall bladder meridian (足少陽膽經) and bladder meridian (足太陽膀胱經) line passing through 24 of the 31 injection sites used for chronic migraine prevention treatment with botulinum toxin type A. The severity of the symptom was assessed by the daily Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score of pain.Results: The patient received outpatient treatment 42 times and received only acupuncture treatment each time. The patient said that after 4 sessions of acupuncture treatment, the severity of pain was reduced from NRS 7 to NRS 5 and that the frequency and duration of the symptoms were lower. After 8 sessions of acupuncture treatment, the symptoms were reduced to NRS 3 and, after 14 days of treatment, to 0~1. Now she barely has any severe headaches.Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that treatment with Korean medicine can be an effective option in treating chronic migraine. In addition, acupuncture can be a good treatment method for chronic migraine that cannot be fundamentally controlled by Western pain relievers.