Reply #30: Just a few studies . . . [View All]

[Richard D]

. . . chosen because they covered a broad variety of conditions. Could have had dozens and dozens more as well:

1: Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Jul;106(1):138-43.
Acupuncture for overactive bladder: a randomized controlled trial.
Emmons SL, Otto L.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, 97239, USA. [e-mail]
OBJECTIVE: To compare acupuncture treatment for overactive bladder with urge incontinence with a placebo acupuncture treatment.
CONCLUSION: Women who received 4 weekly bladder-specific acupuncture treatments had significant improvements in bladder capacity, urgency, frequency, and quality-of-life scores as compared with women who received placebo acupuncture treatments.

PMID: 15994629
2: Phys Ther. 2005 Jun;85(6):490-501.
Effects of acupuncture versus ultrasound in patients with impingement syndrome: randomized clinical trial.
Johansson KM, Adolfsson LE, Foldevi MO.
Physical Therapy Program, Department of Health and Society, Primary Care, Linkopings Universitet, S-581 83 Linkoping, Sweden. [e-mail]
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is no definitive evidence for the efficacy of the physical therapy interventions used for patients with impingement syndrome. The purpose of this study was to compare manual acupuncture and continuous ultrasound, both applied in addition to home exercises, for patients diagnosed with impingement syndrome.
. RESULTS: Both groups improved, but the acupuncture group had a larger improvement in the combined score. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that acupuncture is more efficacious than ultrasound when applied in addition to home exercises.

3: BMJ. 2005 Apr 2;330(7494):761. Epub 2005 Mar 18.
Comment in: BMJ. 2005 Jul 30;331(7511):249-50.
Effects of acupuncture and stabilising exercises as adjunct to standard treatment in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain: randomised single blind controlled trial.
Elden H, Ladfors L, Olsen MF, Ostgaard HC, Hagberg H.
Perinatal Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for the Health of Women and Children, Sahlgrenska Academy, East Hospital, 41685 Gothenburg, Sweden. [e-mail]
OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of standard treatment, standard treatment plus acupuncture, and standard treatment plus stabilizing exercises for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy.
CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and stabilizing exercises constitute efficient complements to standard treatment for the management of pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. Acupuncture was superior to stabilizing exercises in this study.

4: Pain. 2005 Apr;114(3):320-7.
Auricular acupuncture for pain relief after total hip arthroplasty - a randomized controlled study.
Usichenko TI, Dinse M, Hermsen M, Witstruck T, Pavlovic D, Lehmann Ch.
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Friedrich Loeffler Str. 23b, 17487 Greifswald, Germany. [e-mail]
Auricular acupuncture (AA) is known to be effective in treatment of various pain conditions, but still there have been no randomized controlled studies of AA for treatment of acute postoperative pain. Therefore we tested whether AA of specific points is superior to sham acupuncture for complementary analgesia after total hip arthroplasty in a patient-anesthesiologist-evaluator-analyst blinded study. The patients were randomly allocated to receive true AA (lung, shenmen, thalamus and hip points) or sham procedure (4 non-acupuncture points on the auricular helix). Permanent press AA needles were retained in situ 3 days after surgery. Postoperative pain was treated with intravenous piritramide (opioid receptor agonist with analgesic potency of 0.7 compared with morphine) using a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump. The time to the first analgesic request, the amount of postoperative piritramide via PCA and pain intensity on a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS-100) were used to evaluate postoperative analgesia. Intraoperative anesthetic requirement, incidence of analgesia-related side effects, inflammation parameters and success of patients' blinding were also recorded. Fifty-four patients (29 AA and 25 controls) completed the study. Piritramide requirement during 36 h after surgery in AA group was lower than in control: 37+/-18 vs. 54+/-21 mg; mean+/-SD; P=0.004. Pain intensity on VAS-100 and incidence of analgesia-related side effects were similar in both groups. The differences between the groups as regard patients' opinions concerning success of blinding were not significant. Findings from our study demonstrate that AA could be used to reduce postoperative analgesic requirement.

5: J Altern Complement Med. 2004 Dec;10(6):959-65.
Effects of SP6 acupressure on labor pain and length of delivery time in women during labor.
Lee MK, Chang SB, Kang DH.
Department of Nursing, Dankook University, San #29 Anseo-dong, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, Korea 330-714. [e-mail]
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of SP6 acupressure on labor pain and delivery time in women in labor
RESULTS: There were significant differences between the groups in subjective labor pain scores at all time points following the intervention: immediately after the intervention (p = 0.012); 30 minutes after the intervention (p = 0.021); and 60 minutes after the intervention (p = 0.012). The total labor time (3 cm dilatation to delivery) was significantly shorter in the SP6 acupressure intervention group than in the control group (p = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that SP6 acupressure was effective for decreasing labor pain and shortening the length of delivery time. SP6 acupressure can be an effective nursing management for women in labor.

6: Complement Ther Med. 2004 Dec;12(4):181-8.
Preventive and curative effects of acupuncture on the common cold: a multicentre randomized controlled trial in Japan.
Kawakita K, Shichidou T, Inoue E, Nabeta T, Kitakouji H, Aizawa S, Nishida A, Yamaguchi N, Takahashi N, Yano T, Tanzawa S.
Japan Acupuncture and Moxibustion Center, 3-44-14 Minami otsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0005, Japan. [e-mail]
OBJECTIVE: To determine the preventive and curative effects of manual acupuncture on the symptoms of the common cold.
RESULTS: Five of the 326 subjects who were recruited dropped out. The diary score in the acupuncture group tended to decrease after treatment, but the difference between groups was not significant (Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, log rank test P=0.53, Cox regression analysis, P>0.05). Statistically significantly fewer symptoms were reported in the questionnaire by the acupuncture group than control group (P=0.024, general linear model, repeated measure). Significant inter-centre (P<0.001, general linear model) and sex (P=0.027, general linear model) differences were also detected. Reliability tests indicated that the questionnaire with 15 items was sufficiently reliable. No severe adverse event was reported.
CONCLUSION: This is the first report of a multi-centre randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for symptoms of the common cold. A significantly positive effect of acupuncture was demonstrated in the summed questionnaire data, although a highly significant inter-centre difference was observed. Needling on the neck using the Japanese fine needle manipulating technique was shown to be effective and safe. The use of acupuncture for symptoms of the common cold symptoms should be considered, although further evidence from placebo controlled RCTs is required.

7: Acupunct Med. 2004 Dec;22(4):170-7.
Trigger point acupuncture treatment of chronic low back pain in elderly patients--a blinded RCT.
Itoh K, Katsumi Y, Kitakoji H.
Department of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Meiji University of Oriental Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. [e-mail]
OBJECTIVE: There is some evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture in chronic low back pain, but it remains unclear which acupuncture modes are most effective. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of two different modes of trigger point acupuncture on pain and quality of life in chronic low back pain patients compared to standard acupuncture treatment.
RESULTS: After treatment, the group that received deep needling to trigger points reported less pain intensity and improved quality of life compared to the standard acupuncture group or the group that received superficial needling to trigger points, but the differences were not statistically significant. There was a significant reduction in pain intensity between the treatment and interval in the group that received deep needling to trigger points (P<0.01), but not in the standard acupuncture group or the group that received superficial needling to trigger points.
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that deep needling to trigger points may be more effective in the treatment of low back pain in elderly patients than either standard acupuncture therapy, or superficial needling to trigger points.

8: Ann Intern Med. 2004 Dec 21;141(12):901-10.
Comment in: Ann Intern Med. 2005 May 17;142(10):871; author reply 872-3. Ann Intern Med. 2005 May 17;142(10):872; author reply 872-3. J Fam Pract. 2005 Mar;54(3):200.
Summary for patients in: Ann Intern Med. 2004 Dec 21;141(12):I20.
Effectiveness of acupuncture as adjunctive therapy in osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized, controlled trial.
Berman BM, Lao L, Langenberg P, Lee WL, Gilpin AM, Hochberg MC.
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21207, USA.
BACKGROUND: Evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture for reducing the pain and dysfunction of osteoarthritis is equivocal.
CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture seems to provide improvement in function and pain relief as an adjunctive therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee when compared with credible sham acupuncture and education control groups.

9: Pain. 2004 Dec;112(3):289-98.
Randomised trial of long term effect of acupuncture for shoulder pain.
Guerra de Hoyos JA, Andres Martin Mdel C, Bassas y Baena de Leon E, Vigara Lopez M, Molina Lopez T, Verdugo Morilla FA, Gonzalez Moreno MJ.
Andalusia Public Health Service, C/La Maria 26, DP 41008 Sevilla, Spain. [e-mail]
The objective of the study is to compare the efficacy of electro-acupuncture with placebo-acupuncture for the treatment of shoulder pain. This study comprised of a prospective, randomized, placebo controlled trial, with independent evaluator set in a Public primary care clinic in Spain. The participants are patients aged from 25 to 83 years with shoulder pain. Patients were randomly allocated to two treatments over eight weeks, with electro-acupuncture or skin non-penetrating placebo-acupuncture, both able to take diclofenac if needed for intense pain. Primary outcome measure was the difference between groups in pain intensity (visual analogue scale-VAS). Secondary outcomes were differences between groups in pain intensity measured by Lattinen index, in range of motion (goniometer), functional ability (SPADI), quality of life (COOP-WONCA charts), NSAIDS intake, credibility (Borkoveck and Nau scale) and global satisfaction (10 points analogue scale). Assessments were performed before, during and three and six months after treatment. At six month follow-up after treatment the acupuncture group showed a significantly greater improvement in pain intensity compared with the control group . The acupuncture group had consistently better results in every secondary outcome measure than the control group. Acupuncture is an effective long-term treatment for patients with shoulder pain (from soft tissues lesions) in a primary care setting.

10: J Affect Disord. 2004 Nov 15;83(1):89-95.
Acupuncture: a promising treatment for depression during pregnancy.
Manber R, Schnyer RN, Allen JJ, Rush AJ, Blasey CM.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University. 401, Quarry Rd., Stanford, CA 94305, USA. [e-mail]
BACKGROUND: Few medically acceptable treatments for depression during pregnancy are available. The aim of this randomized controlled pilot study was to determine whether acupuncture holds promise as a treatment for depression during pregnancy.
CONCLUSION: Acupuncture holds promise for the treatment of depression during pregnancy.

11: Pain. 2004 Jun;109(3):299-307.
Comment in: Pain. 2004 Dec;112(3):411; author reply 411-2. Pain. 2004 Jun;109(3):203-4.
Effect of acupuncture treatment on chronic neck and shoulder pain in sedentary female workers: a 6-month and 3-year follow-up study.
He D, Veiersted KB, Hostmark AT, Medbo JI.
Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. [e-mail]
The study was carried out to examine whether acupuncture treatment can reduce chronic pain in the neck and shoulders and related headache, and also to examine whether possible effects are long-lasting. Therefore, 24 female office workers (47+/-9 years old, mean+/-SD) who had had neck and shoulder pain for 12+/-9 years were randomly assigned to a test group (TG) or a control group (CG). Acupuncture was applied 10 times during 3-4 weeks either at presumed anti-pain acupoints (TG) or at placebo-points (CG). A physician measured the pain threshold (PPT) in the neck and shoulder regions with algometry before the first treatment, and after the last one and six months after the treatments. Questionnaires on muscle pain and headache were answered at the same occasions and again 3 years after the last treatment. The intensity and frequency of pain fell more for TG than for CG (Pb < or = 0.04) during the treatment period. Three years after the treatments TG still reported less pain than before the treatments (Pw < 0.001) contrary to what CG did (Pb < 0.04) The degree of headache fell during the treatment period for both groups, but more for TG than for CG (Pb=0.02) Three years after the treatments the effect still lasted for TG (Pw < 0.01) while the degree of headache for CG was back to the pre-treatment level (Pb < 0.001) PPT of some muscles rose during the treatments for TG and remained higher 6 months after the treatments (Pw < 0.05) which contrasts the situation for CG. Adequate acupuncture treatment may reduce chronic pain in the neck and shoulders and related headache. The effect lasted for 3 years.

16: Digestion. 2004;69(3):131-9. Epub 2004 Apr 26.
Acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of active Crohn's disease: a randomized controlled study.
Joos S, Brinkhaus B, Maluche C, Maupai N, Kohnen R, Kraehmer N, Hahn EG, Schuppan D.
Department of Medicine I-Gastroenterology, Research Group for Alternative Medicine, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. [e-mail]
BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has traditionally been used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in China and is increasingly being applied in Western countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of active Crohn's disease (CD).
CONCLUSIONS: Apart from a marked placebo effect, traditional acupuncture offers an additional therapeutic benefit in patients with mild to moderately active CD.