Can acupuncture replace painkillers for facial nerve pain?

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

Diagnostic Criteria Diagnosis was based on the criteria for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) as defined in the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) published by the International Headache Society (IHS) in 2018. The diagnostic criteria included: 1. recurrent unilateral facial pain occurring in the distribution of one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve, without radiation outside the trigeminal territory, and meeting criteria (2) and (3); 2. pain presenting with all of the following characteristics: ① paroxysmal attacks lasting from a few seconds to 2 minutes; ② severe intensity; * electric shock-like, stabbing, or sharp quality; 3. pain triggered by innocuous stimuli within the affected trigeminal distribution; 4. exclusion of other facial pain disorders classified in ICHD-3. Inclusion Criteria All of the following criteria had to be met for study enrollment: * fulfillment of the TN diagnostic criteria as stated above; * age between 18 and 80 years, inclusive, irrespective of sex; * receiving a stable daily dose of carbamazepine (200-400 mg); ④ consciousness clear, with intact pain perception and discrimination, and able to communicate effectively; ⑤ voluntary participation with written informed consent provided by the patient or their legal guardian/authorized representative. Exclusion Criteria Participants were excluded if they met any of the following: * comorbid epilepsy, head injury, or other relevant neurological disorders; * significant impairment of cardiac, hepatic, or renal function; * cognitive dysfunction, aphasia, psychiatric conditions, or inability to cooperate with treatment; * poorly controlled hypertension or hyperglycemia; ⑤ recent diagnosis of severe anxiety or depression; ⑥ pregnancy or lactation; ⑦ presence of a cardiac pacemaker or other contraindications to electroacupuncture therapy; ⑧ current participation in another clinical trial.