Acupuncture for the Chronic Migraine Patient: Cost Utility Analysis
Acupuncture for the Chronic Migraine Patient: Cost Utility Analysis
- Could acupuncture save money while preventing migraines? This Canadian study modeled its lifetime costs and benefits for adults with episodic migraine, comparing acupuncture with preventive medication and no active treatment. We’ve looked at acupuncture for migraine often, here, here and here.
- Researchers used effectiveness estimates from a Cochrane review and Canadian migraine cost data. Benefits were measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), which combine length of life with quality of health.
- For the public healthcare system, acupuncture met the study’s cost-effectiveness threshold of CAD $50,000 per QALY gained: $35,060 compared with no treatment and $47,128 compared with preventive medication.
- For society overall, acupuncture was projected to improve health and reduce total costs compared with both alternatives. Savings came mainly from fewer migraine days and less lost productivity.
- The takeaway: Acupuncture could offer good value for migraine prevention, particularly when work losses are considered. These are model-based projections, rather than observed lifetime outcomes; further research would help guide treatment and funding decisions.
Wu, E. C., Hancock-Howard, R., Chan, C. F., & Coyte, P. C. (2025). Cost-Utility Analysis of Acupuncture for the Prevention of Episodic Migraine from a Lifetime Canadian Health System and Societal Perspective. Medical Acupuncture. https://doi.org/10.1089_acu.2024.0102
Abstract Acupuncture for Migraine
Objective:
To assess the lifetime cost-effectiveness of acupuncture in the prevention of episodic migraine from both a Canadian public health care payer and societal perspective.
Background Acupuncture for Migraine:
Acupuncture has been used for pain relief for thousands of years in China and could be an alternative to drugs in managing pain. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence to determine if acupuncture is cost-effective in migraine prevention in the Canadian setting.
Methods:
A cost-utility analysis with a decision-analytic Markov model was constructed to compare acupuncture with drug prophylaxis and no active treatment among adult patients with episodic migraine over their lifetime. The efficacy inputs (migraine days) were based on a Cochrane systematic literature review. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were the modeled health outcome. Direct and indirect medical costs were derived from a Canadian burden of illness study on patients with migraine. All costs were inflated and reported as the present value of lifetime costs in 2021 Canadian dollars (CAD), discounting at 1.5%.
Results:
From a health system perspective, acupuncture was cost-effective when compared with no active treatment (CAD 35,060/QALY) and drug prophylaxis (CAD 47,128/QALY) at a willingness-to-pay threshold of CAD 50,000/QALY gained. Acupuncture was dominant compared with no active treatment and drug prophylaxis from a societal perspective. Cost savings were driven by reduced productivity loss from fewer migraine days with acupuncture treatment.
Conclusion:
Acupuncture could be a cost-effective option for patients with episodic migraine. Future studies are encouraged to inform decisions regarding the use of acupuncture in the management of episodic migraine.