Kurosu 1979(a).

Methods	‐Randomized (method not described). No information about concealment of allocation ‐No information about blinding ‐Funding: Not reported ‐Setting: Private clinic in Tokyo, Japan ‐There is no description about informed consent or ethics approval. ‐Follow‐up: 20 of 20 (100%) ‐Analysis: Intention‐to‐treat, used t‐test for between group analyses
Participants	20 patients with lumbar or sacral region pain. Most of patients were between 40 and 50 years old. 10 males and 10 females Working status: Not reported Previous treatments: Not reported
Interventions	1) Acupuncture: the needles were inserted, and left in situ for 10 minutes, and then removed. Insertion depth was 2 to 4 cm, depending on one's figure. Acupuncture needles used were stainless steel needles (50 mm length, 0.25 mm diameter). Six to eight points in lumbar part were chosen from BL23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 52 and 3 extra channel points by palpation. Abdominal needling was added: needles were inserted to a depth of 1 to 1.5 cm at CV4,13 and ST25 (bilaterally). Acupuncture treatment was performed more than 4 times. Randomized to this group: 10 Experience: well‐known and well‐experienced acupuncturist. 2) Garlic moxibustion in lumbar region: Moxa is placed on top of a slice of garlic. Six to eight points in lumbar area were chosen from BL23, 25, 27, 52 and the other points by palpation. Randomized to this group: 10
Outcomes	1) Pain: 10‐item questionnaire about the specific actions that caused pain. Possible range of this questionnaire is ‐10 to 20 (if patient feels pain at all actions) and higher scores are better. It was measured immediately before second and fourth session Costs: not reported Complications: not reported
Notes	Language: Japanese Publication: full paper No additional information from authors. For results, see the comparisons: 10.2 Conclusions: "There is no difference between needle retention technique and garlic moxibustion for low‐back pain".