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

INTERVENTION: 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 placebo. Two follow‐up treatments were given, 1 and 2 months later. CONDITION: Tension‐type headache ; Signs and Symptoms ; Other headache syndromes PRIMARY OUTCOME: 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 OUTCOME: Not provided at time of registration INCLUSION CRITERIA: Participants were recruited during consultation with GP, from disease registers or from notices in GP premises or local media.