On defining acupuncture and its techniques: A commentary on the problem of sham

Birch, Stephen; Lee, Myeong Soo; Kim, Tae Hun; Alræk, Terje

doi:10.1016/j.imr.2022.100834

Cited by 19 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Studies comparing the efficacy of different acupuncture modalities were excluded. The acceptability of sham acupuncture as a valid control is highly controversial [ 29 , 30 , 31 ], and we planned to analyze the results using subgroup and sensitivity analyses.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture for Managing Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Choi

Ang

Jun

et al. 2022

Cancers

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Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women and is a serious threat to women’s health. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing symptom in BC patients during and after chemotherapy or radiation therapy that severely affects quality of life (QoL). AT is widely used for fatigue management. However, the effect of AT on CRF is still uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AT in the management of CRF in patients with BC. Eleven databases were searched through June 2022. Two researchers independently performed the database search, study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Study selection was performed based on predefined Participants, Intervention, Comparators, Outcomes, Study design (PICOS) criteria, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed when reporting the results. A meta-analysis was performed according to the Cochrane systematic review method using RevMan 5.3. A total of 12 studies including a total of 1084 participants were included. The results showed that AT had a beneficial effect compared with sham AT (n = 256, SMD = −0.26, 95% CI [−0.51, −0.01], p = 0.04, I2 = 0%) and a long-term effect on fatigue score (n = 209, MD = −0.32, 95% CI [–0.59, −0.04], p = 0.02, I2 = 0%). Meta-analysis showed that AT had a beneficial effect compared with usual care (UC) on fatigue scores (n = 238, SMD = −0.39, 95% CI [−0.66 to −0.12], p = 0.005, I2 = 0%). Of the 12 articles, 3 articles were judged as having a low risk of bias in all domains and hence were of high quality. No serious adverse effects were identified. AT is an effective and safe treatment for CRF, and AT is more effective than sham AT or UC or wait-list control (WLC). Nevertheless, the methodological quality of most of these studies was low, and the included studies/sample sizes were small, so the ability to derive decisive implications was limited. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture for Managing Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Choi

Ang

Jun

et al. 2022

Cancers

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“…Treatments that may be used as control interventions include general conventional treatments (medications), sham treatments (interventions that mimic acupuncture/real treatment in some aspects but differ in others, such as skin penetration or point location), and waiting lists. The acceptance of sham acupuncture as a valid control is highly controversial [ 21 – 23 ], and we will analyze the results using subgroup and sensitivity analyzes. In addition to acupuncture and another active treatment, we will also include studies that compared the active treatment with acupuncture, as well as studies that combined the active treatment with acupuncture.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Kim

Ang

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients often use complementary and alternative medicine to treat symptoms, and acupuncture is one option. This systematic review aims to assess whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods We will search nine databases from their inception: PubMed, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, RISS, KoreaMed, KISS, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database. Two investigators will independently review the selected studies, extract the data, and analyze them. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool will be used to assess the risk of bias. Discussion Because this is a systematic review, no ethical approval is needed. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated both electronically and in print. The review will be updated to support health policy and practice. Trial registration number Reviewregistry1345.

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“…The control interventions could include many different treatments, such as general conventional care (drugs, exercise), MA, waiting-list conditions, or sham treatment (interventions that mimic “true” EA/true treatment but deviate in at least one element deemed important by EA theory, such as correct point location or skin penetration). The acceptability of sham acupuncture as a valid control is highly controversial ( 22 – 24 ), and we planned to analyze the results using subgroup and sensitivity analyzes. In this review, trials comparing EA plus another active treatment to the same active treatment in isolation were also included.…”

Section: Criteria For Considering Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electroacupuncture for the treatment of frozen shoulder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Heo

Lee

et al. 2022

Front. Med.

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BackgroundElectroacupuncture (EA) has reportedly been successful in controlling pain, but there have been no systematic reviews examining the impact of EA on patients with frozen shoulder (FS). The purpose of this review is to provide evidence on the safety and efficacy of EA for pain management in patients with FS.MethodsWe searched 11 databases from their inception: EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, AMED, one Chinese medical database, and six Korean medical databases. Two researchers independently performed the study selection, data extraction, and assessment. Bias-related risk was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool.ResultsThis review included thirteen studies involving 936 patients. The EA group exhibited improvements in FS pain (MD −1.11, 95% CI −1.61 to −0.61, p < 0.0001, I2 = 97%), function (SMD 2.02, 95% CI 0.36–3.69, p < 0.00001, I2 = 97%), and response rates (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07–1.25; p = 0.0002; I2 = 0%) over the manual acupuncture (MA) group. As an adjunct treatment, EA improved FS pain (SMD −1.12, 95% CI −1.52 to −0.71, P < 0.00001, I2 = 0) compared to the control treatments. No adverse effects were reported.ConclusionEA is reported to improve FS pain and function compared with control treatments. Additionally, EA can be used as an adjunct therapy for FS pain. EA could emerge as a potent intervention against FS.Systematic review registration[http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021247090], identifier [CRD42021247090]

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On defining acupuncture and its techniques: A commentary on the problem of sham

Cited by 19 publications

References 26 publications

Acupuncture for Managing Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Acupuncture for Managing Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Acupuncture for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Electroacupuncture for the treatment of frozen shoulder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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