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Abstract
BackgroundWe performed a systematic review of the efficacy of various types of acupuncture in the treatment of asthma in children.MethodsWe searched the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to October 20, 2014. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of children and adolescents (<18 years of age) with asthma were included. Data extraction was applied, and methodologic quality was assessed.ResultsA total of 32 articles were assessed for eligibility, and seven studies comprising 410 patients were included in the systematic review. Two RCTs showed significant improvement in peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability for acupuncture (traditional and laser) vs. control, with one showing significant improvement in asthma-specific anxiety level, but no significant differences in other lung function parameters or quality of life. Another RCT reported significant benefits of laser acupuncture on lung function parameters but did not describe or report statistical analyses. One crossover RCT showed significant improvements in response to both acupuncture and placebo acupuncture, with better improvements with acupuncture compared to placebo acupuncture (forced exhaled volume in 1 s [FEV1], PEF). Two additional crossover RCTs showed no significant differences between single sessions of laser acupuncture and placebo acupuncture on baseline, postacupuncture, and postinduced bronchoconstriction values (% predicted FEV1, maximum expiratory flow). A recent study showed a significant effect of acupuncture paired with acupressure on medication use and symptoms in preschool-age children. Methodologic and reporting variability remains an issue. However, the results suggest that acupuncture may have a beneficial effect on PEF or PEF variability in children with asthma.ConclusionsThe efficacy of acupuncture on other outcome measures is unclear. Large-scale RCTs are needed to further assess the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of asthma in children.
Highlights
We performed a systematic review of the efficacy of various types of acupuncture in the treatment of asthma in children
A recent systematic review assessed the efficacy of laser acupuncture in the treatment of asthma, and reported no compelling evidence for the efficacy of laser acupuncture in children with asthma [13]
A total of 25 articles were excluded for the following reasons: performed in adults and not in children (n = 7), included adults as well as children (n = 12), not acupuncture vs. control (n = 4), acupuncture and control groups not compared (n = 1), and no outcome of interest (n = 1)
Summary
We performed a systematic review of the efficacy of various types of acupuncture in the treatment of asthma in children. Several meta-analyses, including a Cochrane Review and its update, have shown no consistent evidence of a significant benefit of various forms of acupuncture in terms of efficacy [10,11,12]. A recent systematic review assessed the efficacy of laser acupuncture in the treatment of asthma, and reported no compelling evidence for the efficacy of laser acupuncture in children with asthma [13]. The objective of the present systematic review was to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in all forms on the treatment of asthma in children
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