Comparative Study of Bloodletting Therapy and Acupuncture Treatment on Headache Caused by “Blood-Fire Origin”

Objective: The study aimed to compare the effects of bloodletting and acupuncture treatment on patients with headaches caused by “blood-fire origin”. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Affiliated Hospital of National University of Inner Mongolia, with two treatment groups, one receiving bloodletting and the other acupuncture. The effects of both treatments were evaluated using the traditional medical questionnaire, visual analog scale scores, and serum lab tests at baseline and one month after treatment. Sixty patients with headaches caused by “blood-fire origin” participated in the study and 27 were male while 33 were female. The data were analyzed at baseline and 1month after treatment using t-tests. Results: After treatment, all complaints related to headaches improved in both study groups when compared before the treatment (p<.05). The visual analog scale pain score was significantly reduced (p=.002) both groups after treatment. Following treatment, the serum nitric oxide and endothelin levels were significantly reduced (p=.0001) compared to pre-treatment levels. Conclusion: Bloodletting and acupuncture decreased the frequency of headache score and reduced the intensity of pain score in patients with headaches. The nitric oxide and endothelin levels were significantly decreased in patients who received bloodletting treatment compared to acupuncture.