Are acupoints specific for diseases? A systematic review of the randomized controlled trials with sham acupuncture controls

Zhang, Hongwei; Bian, Zhaoxiang; Lin, Zhi‐Xiu

doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-1

Cited by 100 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…26 In contrast, a systematic review of the randomised controlled trials with sham acupuncture controls did not find any acupuncture point specificity. 27 Moreover, Somri et al 22 found a statistically significant antiemetic effect of standardised acupuncture at two acupuncture points without stimulation during anaesthesia. In our study, the duration of the acupuncture treatment varied according to surgery time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture versus Usual Care for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Children after Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy: A Pragmatic, Multicentre, Double-Blinded, Randomised Trial

et al. 2015

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Objectives To investigate the effect of a standardised acupuncture on nausea and vomiting in children after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy when possible placebo effects were precluded. Methods A pragmatic, multicentre, doubleblinded, randomised controlled trial. The study was conducted over 10 months in 2012-2013 at three ambulatory clinics. Two hundred and eighty-two children, age 1-11 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade ≤II, were included. To equalise expectancy effects, all parents were told that their child would receive acupuncture. However, children were randomly allocated to perioperative bilateral needling acupuncture at PC6, depth 7 mm, mean time 17 min (SD 5-45) during anaesthesia plus usual care, or to usual care only. The regional ethics committee approved this approach. Primary endpoints were nausea and vomiting 24 h postoperatively. Results This study did not demonstrate any effect of acupuncture (95% CI) compared with standard care. The overall vomiting in the acupuncture and usual-care groups was 44.2% and 47.9%, respectively. Nausea was experienced by 31.7% in the acupuncture group and by 32.6% in the usual-care group. The test power was acceptable for comparisons of vomiting. Conclusions The findings suggest that when controlling for possible placebo effects standardised PC6 acupuncture needling during anaesthesia without further stimulation of PC6 is not effective in reducing nausea and vomiting in children after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy. Future studies should investigate acupuncture treatment which balances adequate dose and technique and a feasible, child-friendly acupuncture treatment. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01729052.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture versus Usual Care for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Children after Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy: A Pragmatic, Multicentre, Double-Blinded, Randomised Trial

et al. 2015

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“…The efficacy of acupuncture in treating pain and disease has been studied from a Western scientific perspective. Systematic reviews have concluded that there is no evidence for acupuncture point specificity and suggest that needles can be inserted anywhere in appropriate segments (80,122). Here, we will use a neurophysiological approach to describe how acupuncture, specifically electro-acupuncture (EA), where needles are electrically stimulated, may work in women with PCOS, because it has good support from experimental and clinical studies (36,79).…”

Section: Acupuncturementioning

confidence: 99%

The physiological basis of complementary and alternative medicines for polycystic ovary syndrome

Raja-Khan

Stener-Victorin

et al. 2011

American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism

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Raja-Khan N, Stener-Victorin E, Wu X, Legro RS. The physiological basis of complementary and alternative medicines for polycystic ovary syndrome. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 301: E1-E10, 2011. First published April 12, 2011 doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00667.2010.-Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder that is characterized by chronic hyperandrogenic anovulation leading to symptoms of hirsutism, acne, irregular menses, and infertility. Multiple metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors are associated with PCOS, including insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, inflammation, and subclinical atherosclerosis. However, current treatments for PCOS are only moderately effective at controlling symptoms and preventing complications. This article describes how the physiological effects of major complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments could reduce the severity of PCOS and its complications. Acupuncture reduces hyperandrogenism and improves menstrual frequency in PCOS. Acupuncture's clinical effects are mediated via activation of somatic afferent nerves innervating the skin and muscle, which, via modulation of the activity in the somatic and autonomic nervous system, may modulate endocrine and metabolic functions in PCOS. Chinese herbal medicines and dietary supplements may also exert beneficial physiological effects in PCOS, but there is minimal evidence that these CAM treatments are safe and effective. Mindfulness has not been investigated in PCOS, but it has been shown to reduce psychological distress and exert positive effects on the central and autonomic nervous systems, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and immune system, leading to reductions in blood pressure, glucose, and inflammation. In conclusion, CAM treatments may have beneficial endocrine, cardiometabolic, and reproductive effects in PCOS. However, most studies of CAM treatments for PCOS are small, nonrandomized, or uncontrolled. Future well-designed studies are needed to further evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and mechanisms of CAM treatments for PCOS. acupuncture; mindfulness meditation; herbs; dietary supplements; traditional Chinese medicine POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS), a common endocrine disorder that affects 5-10% of reproductive-age women, is characterized by chronic hyperandrogenic anovulation leading to symptoms of hirsutism, acne, irregular menses, and infertility (86). The exact etiology of PCOS remains unclear, but it is believed to result from complex interactions between genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Multiple metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors are associated with PCOS, including insulin resistance (IR), obesity, type 2 diabetes (DM-2), hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and subclinical cardiovascular disease (32,62,63,87,107). Anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life are also common in PCOS (5,19,45,107).Current treatments for PCOS are only moderately effective at controlling symptoms and preventing complications. In fact, when 648 women w...

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“…Furthermore, this study also found that stimulation of verum acupuncture points and non-acupuncture points elicited similar effects, which is consistent with recent systematic reviews and studies. [13][14][15] T cells are a critical component of the adaptive immune response. Our investigation of circulating T cells showed that the number of T cells was decreased during craniotomy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electroacupuncture Alleviates Intraoperative Immunosuppression in Patients Undergoing Supratentorial Craniotomy

et al. 2013

Acupunct Med

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Background Clinical experience suggests that anaesthesia using a combination of acupuncture and drugs can reduce the dosage of anaesthetics required for craniotomy, decreasing both the disturbance in physiological functions during the operation and postoperative complications and improving the rate of recovery. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of electroacupuncture (EA) on the dynamic equilibrium of the immune system and immune cell populations during the pericraniotomy period. Methods A total of 56 patients undergoing craniotomy were randomised into three groups: control (C, n=18), EA (A, n=19) and sham acupuncture (S, n=19) groups. Blood samples were collected before anaesthesia (T0) and 30 min, 2 h and 4 h after induction of anaesthesia (T1, T2 and T3, respectively,) to measure the levels of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin (IL)-8, IL-10, IgM, IgA, IgG and full blood count. Results There was no significant difference between the measurements in groups A and S during craniotomy. The levels of IgM and IgA decreased significantly in group C compared with groups A and S at T2 and T3 time points. The levels of total T cells and suppressor T cells in group C decreased significantly compared with groups A and S at T1 and T2, and the level of natural killer cells in group C decreased significantly compared with groups A and S at T1. No significant differences between groups were found in the levels of TNFα, IgG, IL-10, IL-8, leucocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, Th cells or B cells. Conclusions EA appears to reduce immunosuppression of both the humoral and cellular components during surgery.

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Are acupoints specific for diseases? A systematic review of the randomized controlled trials with sham acupuncture controls

Cited by 100 publications

References 33 publications

Acupuncture versus Usual Care for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Children after Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy: A Pragmatic, Multicentre, Double-Blinded, Randomised Trial

Acupuncture versus Usual Care for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Children after Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy: A Pragmatic, Multicentre, Double-Blinded, Randomised Trial

The physiological basis of complementary and alternative medicines for polycystic ovary syndrome

Electroacupuncture Alleviates Intraoperative Immunosuppression in Patients Undergoing Supratentorial Craniotomy

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