Table 1.
Characteristics of randomized controlled trials.
| Study, year | Country | Disease | N (M/F) | Mean age∗ (year) |
Acupuncture (points; duration time) |
Control | Time point after treatment for assessment |
Pain assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chen and Li [30] (2012) |
China | Renal colic | 51 (39/12) | 39.72 (12.23) | EA (KI5, GB25, BL63, RN3, tender points; 30 minutes) | Intramuscular Fortanodyn injection | 10 min | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Inoue et al. [31] (2006) |
Japan | Low back pain | 31 (21/10) | 69.03 (7.06) | MA (one most painful point; 20 seconds) | Nonpenetrating SA | Immediately | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Inoue et al. [32] (2009) |
Japan | Low back pain | 26 (14/12) | 72.20 (7.62) | MA ( two to five tender points; 20 seconds) | Local dibucaine injection | Immediately | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Liu et al. [33] (2014) |
China | Dysmenorrhea | 501 (0/501) | 22.40 (2.80) | EA (SP6; 30 minutes) | (1) EA at unrelated point (2) EA at SP |
immediately | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Lu et al. [34] (2010) |
China | Knee OA | 20 (unclear) | 63.85 (5.95) | EA (GB34, SP9, SP10, ST34, ST36; 30 minutes) | Sham EA at SPs | Immediately | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Mejuto Vázquez et al. [35] (2014) |
Spain | Neck pain | 17 (8/9) | 24.53 (5.54) | DN (MTrPs; 25–30 seconds) | No treatment | 10 min | NRS |
|
| ||||||||
| Maeda et al. [36] (2013) |
USA | CTS | 59 (10/49) | 49.1 (9.8) | EA (PC7, TW5 or SP6, LI4; more than 5 minutes) | Nonpenetrating SA | Immediately | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Nabeta and Kawakita [37] (2002) |
Japan | Neck and shoulder pain | 34 (10/24) | 32.5 (11.37) | MA (two to twelve tender points; 5 minutes) | Nonpenetrating SA | Immediately | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Shin et al. [38] (2013) |
Korea | Low back pain | 58 (34/24) | 38.31 (7.97) | Motion style acupuncture (DU16, LR2, LI11; 30 minutes) | Local diclofenac sodium injection | 30 min | NRS |
|
| ||||||||
| Stival et al. [39] (2014) |
Brazil | Fibromyalgia | 36 (5/31) | 50.83 (9.51) | MA (PC6, HT7, SP6, LI4, LR2, ST36; 20 minutes) | Penetrating at SPs | Immediately | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Su et al. [40] (2010) |
China | Low back pain | 60 (35/25) | 39.6 (12.71) | MA (two ankle points; 30 minutes) | Nonpenetrating SA | Immediately | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Yang et al. [41] (2012) |
China | Sore throat | 74 (37/37) | 28.87 (13.78) | MA (LI4; removing the needle after eliciting the sensation) | Penetrating at SP | 1 min | VAS |
|
| ||||||||
| Zhang et al. [42] (2015) |
China | Migraine | 110 (52/58) | 24.50 (3.03) | EA (GB20, SJ5, GB8, GB34; 30 minutes) | Penetrating at SPs | Immediately | NRS |
Notes. ∗Mean (standard deviation); CTS: carpal tunnel syndrome; DN: dry needling; EA: electroacupuncture; F: female; M: male; MA: manual acupuncture; N: number; SA: sham acupuncture; SP: sham acupoint.