Table 2 Systematic reviews of clinical trials of acupuncture & acupressure in rheumatic diseases, addiction, nausea and asthma

Rheumatic diseases

Berman 99

fibromylgia

sham, other

3 RCT, 3 CS

Acupuncture more effective than sham for

Limited amount of evidence positive.

[28]

treatments

symptoms and global ratings

Further research needed

Ernst 97 [29]

osteoarthriti

sham, other

13 RCT

Both sham and true acupuncture improve

The notion that acupuncture is

s

and no

symptoms but better trials suggest no

superior to sham-needling is not

treatment

difference between the two

supported by data from controlled

clinical trials

Lauten-

inflammator

sham, no

2 RCT, 7

Controlled trials contradictory, quality often

Acupuncture cannot be

schläger 97

y

treatment,

CCT, 9 CS

low

recommended for rheumatoid

[30]

rheumatoid

other acup.

arthritis, spondarthropathy, lupus

diseases

eryth., sclerodermia

Jacobs 91^**

rheumatic

sham, other

23 CCT

7 trials positive, 13 trials no effect over

No specific conclusion on

[31]

diseases

treatment

placebo or control, 3 trials unclear

acupuncture (generally: no

convincing evidence for alternative

therapies in rheumat.)

ter Riet 89

rheumatoid

sham

1 RCT,

Only 1 trial summarized; this found positive

No definitive conclusions possible

[32]

arthritis

2CCT

effects on pain but not on inflammation

Addiction

White

smoking

sham, other

20 RCT

Acupuncture vs. sham: OR for cessation

There is no evidence for the specific

2000/99

cessation

and no

1.22 (95%CI 0.99–1.49) after treatment and

effectiveness of acupuncture in

[33,34]

treatment

1.02 (0.72–1.43) at 12 months. No difference

smoking cessation greater than a

compared to other interventions, better than

placebo effect

no treatment

White 97

smoking

sham

7 RCT

6 of the 7 studies do not yield cessation rates

Acupuncture for smoking cessation

[35]

cessation

that are significantly different from sham

does not produce an effect greater

acupuncture

than placebo

Law 95^* [36]

smoking

sham, other

8 RCT

Compared to control 3% (95%CI -1 to 6%)

Acupuncture is ineffective

cessation

and no

more participants stopped smoking with

treatment

acupuncture

ter Riet

A. smoking

sham, other

A. 13 RCT, 2

A. 3 of 15 studies positive

Claims that acupuncture is effective

90/89 [37,38

cessat.

and no

CCT

for the treatment of tobacco, alcohol

39]

B. alcohol

treatment,

B. 1RCT, 1

B. 2 of 2 studies positive

and heroine addiction are not

addict.

other acu

CCT

supported by sound clinical research

C. heroine

C. 5 CCT

C. 3 of 5 studies positive

addict.

Nausea

Lee 99 [40]

postoperati

sham, other

19 RCT

RR of early vomiting compared to

Acupuncture equivalent to commonly

ve nausea

and no

antiemetics 0.89 (95%CI 0.47–1.67) and to

used antiemetic drugs. More effective

(prevention)

treatment

placebo 0.47 (0.34–0.64), late vomiting 0.81

than placebo in first 6 h after surgery

(0.46–1.42)

in adults but no benefit observed in

children

Aikins

nausea in

sham, no

7 RCT

6 of 7 P6 acupressure trials positive, 1 trial

Available evidence positive but

Murphy 99^**

pregnancy

treatment

on P6 electrical stimulation positive

equivocal

[41]

Jewell 98^*

nausea in

sham, no

4 RCT

3 of 4 P6 acupressure trials positive, 2 cross-

Available evidence positive but

[42]

early

treatment

over trials excluded, best trial negative

equivocal

pregnancy

Vickers 96

nausea in

sham, other

33 CCT

27 of 33 trials positive, 11 of 12 sham-

Except when administered under

[43]

surgery,

and no

controlled randomized trials positive

anesthesia P6 acupuncture point

(stimulation

pregnancy,

treatment

stimulation seems to be an effective

at point P6)

chemother.

antiemetic technic

Asthma

Linde 98 [44]

asthma

sham

7 RCT

Highly heterogeneous trials; two positive, five

It is not yet possible to make any

(acute

found no difference

recommendations about the practice

attack trials

of acupuncture in the treatment of

excl.)

asthma

Linde 96 [45]

asthma

sham, no,

15 RCT

Contradictory results, highly heterogeneous

There is insufficient data to draw

other

trials

reliable conclusions about the

treatment

effectiveness of acupuncture for

asthma

Kleijnen 91

asthma

unclear

9 RCT, 4

Quality low, contradictory results

Claims that acupuncture is effective

[46] & ter

CCT

in the treatment of asthma are not

Riet 89 [47]

based on well performed clinical trials