Chinese herbal medicine seems to be as effective as flunarizine in reducing the frequency of migraines in adults.
The study involved a comprehensive search across nine databases, looking for randomized controlled trials focusing on the application of Chinese herbal medicine in treating episodic migraines as compared to flunarizine. After filtering out non-relevant trials, thirty-five studies with a total of 2,840 participants were chosen, and 31 of them were further assessed in meta-analyses. The treatment's effectiveness was evaluated at both the end of the treatment period and the end of the follow-up period.
The study discovered that Chinese herbal medicine was effective in reducing the frequency of migraines at the end treatment and the end of follow-up. This was regardless of the duration of treatment or follow-up, and the dosage of flunarizine taken. Sub-analyses divided based on these parameters showed the Chinese herbal medicine was comparable, if not superior, to flunarizine. Similarly positive results were observed in terms of secondary goals like pain scale, migraine duration, response rate, and usage of acute medication. The studies using specific Chinese herb pairs were particularly promising.
