Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of the included studies.
| Included study | Randomization method | Treatment | Intervention methods | Main points selected | Outcome indicators | Adverse events | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | Frequency | EA group | Control group | |||||
| Gu et al. [22] | Randomized according to bed number | 6 m | 30 min, daily (7 days off every month) | EA + rehabilitation training + medication | Rehabilitation training + medication | Jiaji points on both sides of the injury plane | FIM | NM |
| Feng et al. [23] | Just mentioned random | 8 w | 30 min, 6 times per week | EA + rehabilitation training + medication | Rehabilitation training + medication | Dazhui (GV14), mingmen (GV4) | ASIA, MBI | NM |
| Wang [24] | Just mentioned random | 3 m | NM | EA + rehabilitation training | Rehabilitation training | GV points | ASIA | NM |
| Jiang and Chen [25] | Random number table | 80 d | 30 min, daily | EA + rehabilitation training | Rehabilitation training | Cervical jiaji points | Frankel classification, BI, FIM | NM |
| Ou [26] | Random number table | 8 w | 30 min, 5 times per week | EA + rehabilitation training | Rehabilitation training | GV points and corresponding jiaji points on the injury plane | MMT, BI, WISCI II | NM |
| Guo et al. [27] | Random number table | 6 w | 40 min, 5 times per week | Key muscles EA + rehabilitation training | Rehabilitation training | Points on key muscles of lower limbs | MBI, MAS | NM |
| Li and Chi [28] | Random number table | 8 w | 30 min, 6 times per week | Jiaji EA + GV EA | Jiaji CE | T6–T11 jiaji points, dazhui (GV14), mingmen (GV4), yanglingquan (GB34), zusanli (ST36) | MBI | NM |
| Deng and Lao [29] | Just mentioned random | 8 w | 30 min, 5 times per week | Jiaji EA + CE + medication | CE + medication | Jiaji points on both sides of the injury plane | ASIA, WISCI II, SCIM | NM |
| Yang et al. [30] | Just mentioned random | 8 w | 30 min, 5 times per week | EA + weight loss walking training | Weight loss walking training | Jiaji points on both sides of the injury plane, dazhui (GV14), mingmen (GV4), | ASIA motor score, MBI | NM |
| Wong et al. [31] | Just mentioned random | 12 m | 30 min, 5 times per week | EA + rehabilitation training | Rehabilitation training | Houxi (SI3), shenmai (BL62), auricular acupoints | ASIA, FIM | NM |
d, days; w, weeks; m, months; GV, governor vessel; CE, conventional acupuncture; ASIA, American Spinal Injury Association; FIM, functional independence measure; MMT, manual muscle testing; BI, Barthel index; MBI, modified Barthel index; WISCI II, walking index for spinal cord injury II; SCIM, spinal cord independence measure; MAS, modified Ashworth score; NM, not mentioned. Acupoint selection only indicates the main acupoints.