Table 3. Summary of effect result within different type of sham electro-acupuncture methods and electro-acupuncture indications.
| electro-acupuncture (EA) indications | The type of sham EA method |
The NO. of reference included | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sham EA type A 26 control groups | Sham EA type B 7 control groups | Sham EA type C 7 control groups | Sham EA type D 6 control groups | Sham EA type F 7 control groups | Sham EA type L 17 control groups | Sham EA type M 3 control groups | Sham EA type N 4 control groups | Sham EA type O 14 control groups | Sham EA type Q 10 control groups | ||
| Pain 32 RCTs | T > C 8 comparisons ND 7 comparisons | T > C 3 comparisons ND 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison ND 3 comparisons | T > C 1 comparison | ND 2 comparisons | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison ND 2 comparisons | ND 2 comparisons T > C? 1 comparison | T > C 16 ND 17 T > C? 1 | |
| Obesity 4 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 2 comparisons | T > C 1 comparison ND 1 comparison | T > C 4 ND 1 | |||||||
| Anesthesia 8 RCTs | T > C 2 comparisons ND 1 comparison T < C 1 comparison | ND 2 comparisons T > C? 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 3 ND 3 T < C 1 T > C? 1 | |||||||
| Stroke 7 RCTs | ND 1 comparison | ND 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison ND 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison ND 1 comparison | T > C 3 ND 4 | |||||
| Depression 6 RCTs | T > C 2 comparisons ND 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | ND 1 comparison | ND 1 comparison | T > C 3 ND 3 | ||||||
| Primary dysmenorrhea and (or) Menstrual Pain 4 RCTs | T > C 2 comparisons ND 2 comparisons | T > C 2 comparisons ND 2 comparisons | T > C 4 ND 4 | ||||||||
| Substance abuse 3 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | ND 1 comparison | T > C 2 ND 1 | |||||||
| Healthy 3 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison ND 2 comparisons | T > C 2 ND 2 | ||||||||
| Osteoarthritis 2 RCTs | T > C 2 comparisons | T > C 2 | |||||||||
| Migraine 2 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | ND 1 comparison | T > C 1 ND 1 | ||||||||
| Nausea and Vomiting 2 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 3 | |||||||
| Postoperative ileus 2 RCTs | T > C 2 comparisons | T > C 2 | |||||||||
| Insomnia 2 RCTs | ND 1 comparison | ND 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 ND 2 | |||||||
| benign prostate hyperplasia 2 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 2 | ||||||||
| Diabetic mellitus 2 RCTs | ND 1 comparison | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 ND 1 | ||||||||
| Carpal tunnel syndrome 1 RCTs | T > C 2 comparisons | T > C 2 | |||||||||
| Rheumatoid arthritis 1 RCTs | ND 1 comparison | ND 1 | |||||||||
| Whiplash-associated disorders 1 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 | |||||||||
| Constipation 1 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 | |||||||||
| Multiple sclerosis 1 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 | |||||||||
| Tinnitus 1 RCTs | ND 1 comparison | ND 1 | |||||||||
| Auditory hallucination 1 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 | |||||||||
| ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) 1 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 | |||||||||
| PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) 1 RCTs | ND 1 comparison | ND 1 | |||||||||
| hot flushes in postmenopausal women 1 RCTs | ND 1 comparison | ND 1 | |||||||||
| Postpartum Insufficient Lactation 1 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 | |||||||||
| Cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury 1 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 | |||||||||
| Stress-related symptoms 1 RCTs | T > C 1 comparison | T > C 1 | |||||||||
| The positive rate of efficacy result | T > C 13 ND 12 T < C 1 T > C? 0 53.8% (14/26 comparisons) | T > C 5 ND 3 62.5% (5/8 comparisons) | T > C 5 ND 3 62.5% (5/8 comparisons) | T > C 4 ND 2 66.7% (4/6 comparisons) | T > C 5 ND 2 71.4% (5/7 comparisons) | T > C 8 ND 9 T > C? 1 44.4% (8/18 comparisons) | T > C 2 ND 1 66.7% (2/3 comparisons) | T > C 3 ND 1 75% (3/4 comparisons) | T > C 9 ND 5 64.3% (9/14 comparisons) | T > C 5 ND 5 T > C? 1 45.5% (5/11 comparisons) | T > C 59 ND 43 T < C 1 T > C? 2 57.1% (60/105 comparisons) |
NOTE: T > C, EA treatment group was significantly superior to sham EA control group; ND, no difference between EA and sham EA group; T < C, real EA group was significantly inferior to sham EA group; T > C?, the efficacy result of trial was reported as “T > C” without conducting the between-group analysis and with the original data not available.