From: Systematic reviews of complementary therapies - an annotated bibliography. Part 1: Acupuncture
Author Year | Indication | Controls | Studies | features | Results | Conclusion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | 1 / 2 / 3 |  |  |
 |  |  |  | / 4 / 5 |  |  |
Chronic | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
pain | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Ezzo 2000 | chronic | sham, | 51 RCT | y / y / y / | Positive results in 21 studies, negative in 3, | Limited evidence that acupuncture is |
[9] | pain | placebo, no | Â | y / n | and neutral in 27. Better studies more often | more effective than no treatment, |
 |  | treatment, |  |  | negative or neutral | inconclusive evidence regarding |
 |  | standard |  |  |  | placebo, sham and standard care |
ter Riet | chronic | sham, | 51 CCT | y / y / y / | Trials small and of low quality. 24 with | The efficacy of acupuncture in the |
90/89 | pain | other, no | Â | y / n | positive and 27 with negative results. Better | treatment of chronic pain remains |
 | treatment |  |  | studies more often negative | doubtful | |
Patel 89 [12] | chronic | sham, no | 14 RCT | n / y / n | Overall patients receiving acupuncture were | Available evidence positive but |
 | pain | treatment, |  | / y / y | 18% (p < 0.01) more likely to experience | definitive conclusions difficult due to |
 |  | standard |  |  | improvement | various potential sources of bias |
Smith 2000 | back & | sham, | 13 RCT | y / y / y / | 5 studies positive, 8 studies negative; better | No convincing evidence for the |
[13] | neck pain | other, no | Â | y / n | studies reported more often negative results | analgetic efficacy of acupuncture for |
 |  | treatment |  |  |  | back and neck pain |
White 99 | neck pain | sham, | 14 RCT | y / y / y / | 7 studies positive, 7 negative. Of the 8 better | No convincing evidence for the |
[14] | Â | other, no | Â | y / n | studies 5 negative, 3 positive | effectiveness of acupuncture for neck |
 |  | treatment |  |  |  | pain |
van Tulder | low back | sham, | 11 RCT | y / y / y / | Conclusions of primary authors positive in 8 | Authors would not recommend acu- |
pain | other, no | Â | y / n | studies, by reviewers for 2 studies. | puncture as regular treatment for low | |
 |  | treatment |  |  | Methodological quality judged as low | back pain. High quality trials needed |
Ernst 98 [17] | back pain | sham, | 12 RCT | y / y / y / | OR for improvement compared with all | Acupuncture superior to various |
 |  | other, no |  | y / y | control interventions 2.30 (95%CI 1.28–4.13), | control interventions although |
 |  | treatment |  |  | with sham 1.37 (0.84–2.25). Majority of | insufficient evidence whether |
 |  |  |  |  | studies good quality | superior to sham |
Longworth | sciatica | unclear | 1 RCT, 6 | p / p / n | Most studies of poor quality; a large number | There may be a role for acupuncture |
97 [18] | Â | Â | CCT, 31 | / y / n | of patients seem to have benefited | treatment of lumbar disk protrusions |
 |  |  | uncontrolled |  |  | and sciatica |
 |  |  | studies |  |  |  |
ter Riet 89 | neck and | unclear | 16 RCT, 6 | y / p / y | Study design was generally poor. Results | Due to the low methodological quality |
[19] | back pain | Â | CCT | / n / n | only discussed for a few better quality | no definitive conclusions can be |
 |  |  |  |  | studies | drawn |
Headache | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
McCrory | tension- | sham, | 6 RCT | y / y / y / | 3 of 4 sham-controlled trials positive (best | Insufficient evidence to draw |
2000* [20] | type | physio- | Â | y / n | negative), physiotherapy better in 1 of 2 trials | conclusions on the efficacy. Further |
 | headache | therapy |  |  |  | rigorous trials needed |
Melchart 99 | idiopathic | sham, | 22 RCT | y / y / y / | Majority of 14 sham controlled trials with at | Existing evidence suggests that |
[21] | headaches | other, no | Â | y / y | least a trend in favour of acupuncture. Trials | acupuncture has a role in headache |
 |  | treatment |  |  | vs. other treatments contradictory | treatment. However, quality and |
 |  |  |  |  |  | amount of evidence not fully |
 |  |  |  |  |  | convincing |
Goslin 99 | migraine | sham, | 6 RCT | y / y / y / | 2 of 3 placebo-controlled trials positive, | Insufficient data on acupuncture to |
[22] | Â | other, no | Â | y / n | similar effects as drug treatment in 2 trials | draw conclusions on its efficacy |
 |  | treatment |  |  |  |  |
Vernon 99** | tension- | sham, | 8 RCT | y / y / y / | 2 of 4 sham-controlled trials positive, results | Too few trials and contradictory |
[23] | type and | other, no | Â | y / n | vs. physiotherapy contradictory | findings precluding definitive |
 | cervicogeni | treatment |  |  |  | conclusions |
 | c |  |  |  |  |  |
ter Riet 89 | tension | sham, other | 7 RCT, 1 | y / p / y | Small study size and methodological | No definitive conclusions on the |
[24] | type | treatment | CCT | / n / n | problems make the available trials | effectiveness of acupuncture for |
 | headache |  |  |  | uninterpretable | headache can be drawn |
ter Riet 89 | facial pain | sham | 2 RCT | y / p / y | Methodological quality poor | No definitive conclusions possible |
[25] | Â | Â | Â | / y / n | Â | Â |
Pain | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
various | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Ernst 98 [26] | acute | sham, | 11 RCT, 5 | y / p / y | The majority of trials imply that acupuncture | Acupuncture can alleviate dental pain |
 | dental pain | other, no | CCT | / y / n | is effective in dental analgesia | but additional research necessary |
 |  | treatment |  |  |  |  |
Ernst 99 [27] | temporoma | other and | 3 RCT | y / y / n | 3 comparisons with standard treatments and | Available data suggest beneficial |
 | n-dibular | no |  | / y / n | 2 with no treatment with favorable effects of | effects; more rigorous, sham- |
 | joint | treatment |  |  | acupuncture | controlled trials needed |
 | dysfunction |  |  |  |  |  |