ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to investigate recent clinical studies on the effect of acupuncture for urticaria worldwide.
MethodsBased on the PubMed search with the key search terms of 'urticaria, acupuncture', dated between 2002 to 2015, a total of 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 3 case series, and 2 case reports have been found, and were analyzed.Results and conclusions 1. The most commonly used acupoints were Quchi (LI 11), Xuehai (SP 10), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Dazhui (GV 14). 2. The most commonly used meridians were The Ren Channel, The Du Channel and The Gall Bladder Meridian of Foot-Shaoyang. 3. The treatment period varied from 12 days to 3 months. 4. Acupuncture treatment found to be significantly more or equally effective than the western medicine. 5. More clinical studies are needed to prove a true effectiveness of the acupuncture for urticaria. In case of laboratory tests, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin 4 (IL-4) and Helicobacter pylori negative rate might be helpful.