Can needles calm Cycle-Linked migraines?

NCT ID NCT07023926

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing whether electroacupuncture can prevent migraines that strike around a woman's period. The trial enrolls 40 women aged 18 to 45 who have regular cycles and at least three headache days during each menstrual window. Participants receive either real electroacupuncture or a sham version, and the main measure is how many headache days they have per standardized 28-day cycle.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
electroacupuncture, a form of acupuncture that uses a mild electrical current on thin needles placed at specific points
What this could lead to
If electroacupuncture works, it could offer women with menstrually related migraine a drug-free way to prevent headaches tied to their cycle.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot trial of 40 women, so any hint of benefit may not hold up in larger studies. Acupuncture carries small risks like soreness or minor bleeding at needle sites, and the placebo effect is hard to rule out.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2025

Expected to finish

Jan 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 45 years

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. meet the diagnostic criteria for MRM according to the ICHD-3, with a documented history of MRM for at least 12 months; 2. have a confirmed diagnosis of migraine by a neurologist; 3. aged 18-45 years; 4. have regular menstrual cycles (28 ± 7 days) with menstruation lasting 3-7 days; 5. have experienced ≥3 headache days during each menstrual cycle (days -2 to +3) and ≥5 total headache days per cycle over the past 3 months and baseline period; migraine attacks must last 4-72 hours without acute medication, or at least 2 hours when treated; 6. have completed a headache diary during the screening period (covering at least one full menstrual cycle), demonstrating good compliance; 7. headache diary data during screening period must meet the ICHD-3 criteria for MRM and fulfill criteria (4) and (5); 8. voluntarily sign the informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. irregular menstrual cycles, defined as cycle length outside the range of 28±7 days or menstruation duration \<3 days or \>7 days; 2. presence of secondary headache disorders, facial neuralgia, or cranial neuralgia; 3. combined with serious primary diseases such as cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, or hematological disorders that may interfere with the treatment protocol, or comorbid neurological conditions such as epilepsy, parkinson's disease, or other central nervous system disorders; 4. headache symptoms caused by other conditions, such as moderate to severe head or neck trauma, perimenstrual infections, intracranial tumors, intracranial infections, endocrine or metabolic disorders; 5. receipt of preventive treatment for headache within 1 month prior to the screening visit; 6. afraid of needles or received acupuncture treatment within 3 months; 7. unwillingness to undergo the study intervention or failure to sign the informed consent.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Department of Acupuncture, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Guang'anmen Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100053, China

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