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Can tai chi or acupuncture rewire the migraine brain?

NCT ID NCT06967909

Symptom relief Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing whether Tai Chi training or acupuncture can reduce migraine attacks in Hong Kong Chinese women with episodic migraine. The trial assigns 132 participants to either 24 weeks of Tai Chi or a course of acupuncture. The team tracks migraine frequency and days, headache intensity, and changes in brain white matter seen on MRI scans.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Tai Chi training and acupuncture
What this could lead to
If either approach works, it could offer women with episodic migraine a drug-free way to reduce how often attacks happen.
What could go wrong
This is a single trial in one group of women, so results may not apply to everyone. Tai Chi and acupuncture are generally low-risk, but neither may beat the other or help at all.

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 132 people

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

Started

Jan 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

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 years and older

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: * Chinese women aged 18 years and above; * Diagnosed with episodic migraines, with or without aura, according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3); * Migraine attack frequency ranging from 2 to 14 days per month (≥15 days/month is classified as chronic migraine and is not included in this study); * Assessed by a sports specialist as capable of engaging in moderate physical activity; * Residing in Hong Kong. Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to engage in moderate physical activity; * Comorbid with other neurological disorders; * Experiencing non-migraine headaches for more than 5 days per month; * Previous practice of Tai Chi or other mind-body exercises (such as yoga, biofeedback, meditation, etc.); * Received alternative treatments for migraines (such as acupuncture or Chinese medicine) during the recruitment period or within the past 12 weeks; * Undergoing preventive medication treatment for migraines during the recruitment period or within the past 12 weeks; * Excessive use of medication, taking antipsychotic or antidepressant drugs, or using analgesics for other chronic pain conditions for more than 3 days per month within the past 12 weeks; * Diagnosed with epilepsy or having a mental illness; * Pregnant, breastfeeding, or currently taking contraceptive medication.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

migraine disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Migraine Migraine disorder

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

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

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    RECRUITING

    Hung Hom, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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