Abstract
BackgroundAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease that affects 1–3% of adults worldwide. Currently, it is not possible to completely cure AD; therefore, alternative treatments need to be developed to meet the patients’ needs. Here, based on our previous pilot study, we conducted the first confirmatory randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of acupuncture in patients with mild to moderate AD.MethodsA randomized, participant- and assessor-blinded, sham-controlled trial was designed with an intervention period twice-weekly for 4 weeks and a 4-week follow-up. We equally allocated 36 participants to the verum acupuncture (VA) and sham acupuncture (SA) groups. The main outcome measure was the change in SCORing Atopic Dermatitis index (SCORAD) score before and after treatment.ResultsA total of 36 participants, aged 19 to 38 years, were enrolled, and 35 were included in the intention-to-treat analyses. The mean change in total SCORAD score differed significantly among the two groups at 4 weeks after randomization (P < .0001): the mean difference was − 11.83 (7.05) in the VA group and 0.45 (7.77) in the SA group. The mean SCORAD score substantially decreased 2-weeks after starting the acupuncture treatment and continued to improve for at least 4 weeks after the end of the treatment in the VA group compared to the SA group (each P < .0001). No serious adverse events were observed.ConclusionsTwice-weekly acupuncture treatment was effective in reducing AD symptoms in patients with mild to moderate AD without serious adverse events.Trial registrationClinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0002796.
Highlights
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease that affects 1–3% of adults worldwide
They found that the putamen, a region implicated in motivation and habitual behavior underlying the urge to scratch, was associated with the anti-pruritic effects of acupuncture [8]
Two participants in the verum acupuncture (VA) group and one in the sham acupuncture (SA) group were excluded from perprotocol (PP) analysis due to follow-up loss (Fig. 1)
Summary
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease that affects 1–3% of adults worldwide. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have suggested that acupuncture alleviates allergen-induced itch in AD patients, which was not observed in the placebo or antihistamine group. They found that the putamen, a region implicated in motivation and habitual behavior underlying the urge to scratch, was associated with the anti-pruritic effects of acupuncture [8]. Atopic diseases have been associated with functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders recently [15], and our pilot study suggested epigastric tenderness and dyspepsia seemed to be related to AD symptoms [14]. Quantitative indicators of indigestion were measured as a secondary outcome
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