Thinking on Control Methods in Acupuncture Trials_Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine

Authors：

WANG Yang ,  LIU Zhishun

Acupuncture Department, Guangan’men Hospital Affiliated to China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China;

Corresponding author：

LIU Zhishun, Email: liuzhishun@yahoo.com.cn

Keywords：

Acupuncture; Clinical trial; Placebo control

DOI：

10.7507/1672-2531.20110223

Video：

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The use of placebo controls in acupuncture trials has been an international concern for many years. We discussed some common problems in placebo controls and introduced four kinds of control methods (sham acupuncture, non-points acupuncture, minimal acupuncture and non-specific sites acupuncture). For sham acupuncture, non-points acupuncture and non-specific sites acupuncture, patients who have received acupuncture are liable to doubt the intervention they are taking. Minimal acupuncture has better reliability but is limited to use in many diseases for its physiological effect. Needling on some special parts of the body, for example, head and back side of the body, can make balance among factors as reliability, physiological effect and feasibility. This paper recommends a control method needling special parts according to the tradiontional acupuncture theory, which provides references for acupuncture clinical trials.

Citation： WANG Yang,LIU Zhishun. Thinking on Control Methods in Acupuncture Trials. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2011, 11(11): 1335-1338. doi: 10.7507/1672-2531.20110223 Copy

1.	2 Howard H. Moffet M.P.H. Sham Acupuncture May Be as Efficacious as True Acupuncture: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 2009, 3(15): 213-216.
2.	3 Mayhew E, Ernst E. Acupuncture for fibromyalgia—a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Rheumatology (Oxford) , 2007, 46(5): 801-804.
3.	4 Anna E, Mats H, Gunnar S, et al . Can individuals identify if needling was performed with an acupuncture needle or a non-penetrating sham needle?. Complementary Therapies in Medicine , 2008, 16(5): 288-294.
4.	6 Streitberger K, Kleinhenz J. Introducing a placebo needle into acupuncture research. The Lancet , 1998, 352(9125): 364-365.
5.	7 Tan CW, Christie L, St-Georges V, et al . Discrimination of Real and Sham Acupuncture Needles Using the Park Sham Device: A Preliminary Study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil , 2009, 90(12): 2141-2145.
6.	8 White P, Lewith G, Hopwood V, et al . The placebo needle, is it a valid and convincing placebofor use in acupuncture trials? A randomised, single-blind, cross-over pilot trial. Pain , 2003, 106(3): 401-409.
7.	9 Cummings M. Commentary: controls for acupuncture-can we finally see the light? BMJ , 2001, 322(7302): 1578.
8.	10 Karst M, Reinhard M, Thum P, et al . Needle acupuncture in tension-type headache: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Blackwell Science Ltd Cephalalgia , 2001, 21(6): 637-642.
9.	11 Karst M, Rollnik JD, Fink M, et al . Pressure pain threshold and needle acupuncture in chronic tension-type headache-a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Pain , 2000, 88(2): 199-203.
10.	12 Tsukayama H, Yamashita H, Kimura T, et al . Factors That Influence the Applicability of Sham Needle in Acupuncture Trials Two Randomized, Single-Blind, Crossover Trials With Acupuncture-Experienced Subjects. Clin J Pain , 2006, 22(4): 346-349.
11.	13 David J, Townsend S, Sathanathan R, et al . The effect of acupuncture on patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Rheumatology , 1999, 38(9): 864-869.
12.	14 White AR, Resch KL, Chan JC, et al . Acupuncture for episodic tension-type headache : a multicentre randomized controlled trial. Cephalalgia , 2000, 20(7): 632-637.
13.	15 Godfrey CM, Morgan P. A controlled trial of the theory of acupuncture in musculoskeletal pain. J Rheumatol , 1978, 5(2): 121-124.
14.	17 Lewth GT, Madun D. On the evaluation of the clinical effects of acupuncture. Pain , 1983,16(2): 111-127.
15.	20 Ceccherelli F, Rigoni MT, Gagliardi G. Comparison of Superficial and Deep Acupuncture in the Treatment of Lumbar Myofascial Pain: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study. The Clinical Journal of Pain , 2002, 18(3): 149-153.
16.	26 Dincer F, Linde K. Sham interventions in randomized clinical trials of acupuncture—a review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine , 2003, 11(4): 235-242.
17.	管红珍, 彭智聪, 傅鹰. 循证医学中文献证据等级标准的系统性综述. 药物流行病学杂志, 2002, 11(3): 145-148.
18.	黄梅芳, 俞昌德. 安慰对照针灸方法的可行性测试. 中国针灸, 2004, 24(7): 507-509.
19.	刘京, 王俊英, 刘俊岭, 等. 安慰针刺对照设计的研究进展与相关问题探讨. 针刺研究, 2007, 32(6): 389-424.
20.	张维, 刘志顺, 李珺. 深刺天枢穴治疗结肠慢转运性便秘30例. 临床研究, 2005, 124(10): 26-27.
21.	万兴, 顾一煌, 林容枝. 深刺天枢治疗功能性便秘远期疗效观察. 辽宁中医药大学学报, 2010, 12(4): 198-199.
22.	范郁山, 况彦德. 《针灸甲乙经》有关浅刺针法理论的研究探析. 亚太传统医药, 2010, 6(1): 10-11.
23.	罗庆道. 扬皮部理论倡浅刺疗法. 安徽中医临床杂志, 2003, 15(3): 173-174.
24.	黄梅芳, 俞昌德. 介绍国外针灸临床研究中几种安慰对照方法. 中国针灸, 2003, 23(10): 589-591.
25.	石学敏. 针灸学. 北京: 中国中医药出版社, 2002: 18.
26.	刘慧琳, 张琰, 李敬道, 等. 针灸临床研究针刺安慰对照方法的设计与实践. 中国循证医学杂志, 2008, 8(12): 1133-1135.

1. 2 Howard H. Moffet M.P.H. Sham Acupuncture May Be as Efficacious as True Acupuncture: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 2009, 3(15): 213-216.
2. 3 Mayhew E, Ernst E. Acupuncture for fibromyalgia—a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Rheumatology (Oxford) , 2007, 46(5): 801-804.
3. 4 Anna E, Mats H, Gunnar S, et al . Can individuals identify if needling was performed with an acupuncture needle or a non-penetrating sham needle?. Complementary Therapies in Medicine , 2008, 16(5): 288-294.
4. 6 Streitberger K, Kleinhenz J. Introducing a placebo needle into acupuncture research. The Lancet , 1998, 352(9125): 364-365.
5. 7 Tan CW, Christie L, St-Georges V, et al . Discrimination of Real and Sham Acupuncture Needles Using the Park Sham Device: A Preliminary Study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil , 2009, 90(12): 2141-2145.
6. 8 White P, Lewith G, Hopwood V, et al . The placebo needle, is it a valid and convincing placebofor use in acupuncture trials? A randomised, single-blind, cross-over pilot trial. Pain , 2003, 106(3): 401-409.
7. 9 Cummings M. Commentary: controls for acupuncture-can we finally see the light? BMJ , 2001, 322(7302): 1578.
8. 10 Karst M, Reinhard M, Thum P, et al . Needle acupuncture in tension-type headache: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Blackwell Science Ltd Cephalalgia , 2001, 21(6): 637-642.
9. 11 Karst M, Rollnik JD, Fink M, et al . Pressure pain threshold and needle acupuncture in chronic tension-type headache-a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Pain , 2000, 88(2): 199-203.
10. 12 Tsukayama H, Yamashita H, Kimura T, et al . Factors That Influence the Applicability of Sham Needle in Acupuncture Trials Two Randomized, Single-Blind, Crossover Trials With Acupuncture-Experienced Subjects. Clin J Pain , 2006, 22(4): 346-349.
11. 13 David J, Townsend S, Sathanathan R, et al . The effect of acupuncture on patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Rheumatology , 1999, 38(9): 864-869.
12. 14 White AR, Resch KL, Chan JC, et al . Acupuncture for episodic tension-type headache : a multicentre randomized controlled trial. Cephalalgia , 2000, 20(7): 632-637.
13. 15 Godfrey CM, Morgan P. A controlled trial of the theory of acupuncture in musculoskeletal pain. J Rheumatol , 1978, 5(2): 121-124.
14. 17 Lewth GT, Madun D. On the evaluation of the clinical effects of acupuncture. Pain , 1983,16(2): 111-127.
15. 20 Ceccherelli F, Rigoni MT, Gagliardi G. Comparison of Superficial and Deep Acupuncture in the Treatment of Lumbar Myofascial Pain: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study. The Clinical Journal of Pain , 2002, 18(3): 149-153.
16. 26 Dincer F, Linde K. Sham interventions in randomized clinical trials of acupuncture—a review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine , 2003, 11(4): 235-242.
17. 管红珍, 彭智聪, 傅鹰. 循证医学中文献证据等级标准的系统性综述. 药物流行病学杂志, 2002, 11(3): 145-148.
18. 黄梅芳, 俞昌德. 安慰对照针灸方法的可行性测试. 中国针灸, 2004, 24(7): 507-509.
19. 刘京, 王俊英, 刘俊岭, 等. 安慰针刺对照设计的研究进展与相关问题探讨. 针刺研究, 2007, 32(6): 389-424.
20. 张维, 刘志顺, 李珺. 深刺天枢穴治疗结肠慢转运性便秘30例. 临床研究, 2005, 124(10): 26-27.
21. 万兴, 顾一煌, 林容枝. 深刺天枢治疗功能性便秘远期疗效观察. 辽宁中医药大学学报, 2010, 12(4): 198-199.
22. 范郁山, 况彦德. 《针灸甲乙经》有关浅刺针法理论的研究探析. 亚太传统医药, 2010, 6(1): 10-11.
23. 罗庆道. 扬皮部理论倡浅刺疗法. 安徽中医临床杂志, 2003, 15(3): 173-174.
24. 黄梅芳, 俞昌德. 介绍国外针灸临床研究中几种安慰对照方法. 中国针灸, 2003, 23(10): 589-591.
25. 石学敏. 针灸学. 北京: 中国中医药出版社, 2002: 18.
26. 刘慧琳, 张琰, 李敬道, 等. 针灸临床研究针刺安慰对照方法的设计与实践. 中国循证医学杂志, 2008, 8(12): 1133-1135.

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