Table 3.

Systematic reviews of clinical trials of acupuncture & acupressure in various conditions

				Feature
Author Year	Indication	Controls	Studies	s	Results	Conclusion
				1 / 2 / 3
				/ 4 / 5
Park 2000	tinnitus	sham, other	6 RCT	y / y / y /	2 unblinded studies positive whereas 4	No evidence from rigorous RCT that
[48]		treatment		y / n	blinded studies showed no significant effects	acupuncture has specific effects in
					of acupunct.	the treatment of tinnitus
Dobie 99 *	tinnitus	sham, other	6 RCT	p / p / p	No significant effects shown. Patients in	No specific conclusions for
[49]		treatment		/ p / n	cross-over studies tend to prefer	acupuncture drawn (generally: no
					acupuncture	treatment well established)
Ernst 97 [50]	weight or	sham	4 RCT	? / y / y	Two studies positive effect mainly on	Claims that acupuncture reduces
	appetite			/ y / y	appetite, two studies (better quality) negative	weight or appetite not based on well-
	reduction					performed clinical trials
Ernst 96 [51]	stroke	no	5 RCT, 1	y / y / n	All trials suggest positive effects on	Evidence encouraging but not
	rehabilitatio	treatment	CCT	/ y / n	functional recovery; numerous	compelling
	n	(routine			methodological problems
		only)
Harris 97	various	sham,	23 clinical	p / n / y	P6 acupressure effective for nausea, other	No clear conclusion beyond results
(only acu-		other, no	studies	/ n / n	research scarce and low quality	drawn
pressure)		treatment
[52]
Rosted 98	dentistry	sham,	15 RCT	y / p / y	Most studies with relevant methodological	The value of acupuncture as an
[53]	(mainly	other, no		/ n / n	problems. 11 of 15 trials with positive results	analgesic must be questioned due to
	temporoma	treatment				problems in the trials. But the effect
	ndibular					in temporomandibular dysfunction
	dysfunction					and facial pain seems real
	)

legend see table 1