Safety Of Acupuncture Treatment Research Articles

Acupuncture therapy for breast cancer-related lymphedema: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of clinical studies on acupuncture treatment for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), so as to explore the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment and provide evidence for the clinical decision-making. Public databases, mainly including China Academic Journals Full-text Database, Database of Chinese Sci-Tech Journal, Wanfang, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library, from the establishment of databases to December 2018 were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) of acupuncture for BCRL. Clinical RCT on the treatment of BCRL with acupuncture combined with drugs or functional exercise were enrolled for the analysis. Bias risk and quality were assessed by two investigators according to the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 standard, and the Revman 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. A total of 13 studies were enrolled, comprising 747 patients (377 in the treatment group and 370 in the control group). The results of meta-analysis showed that acupuncture intervention could improve the total effective rate for the treatment of BCRL (odds ratio = 4.62; 95% confidence interval 2.61-8.17). Recent studies suggest that acupuncture therapy can alleviate the upper limb swelling and improve the subjective pain and discomfort in patients with BCRL, regardless of the control intervention used. However, the number of high-quality RCT is low. Moreover, most of the studies adopted inconsistent efficacy indicators. Hence, additional blinded, large-sample, randomized, well-controlled studies with objective and uniform efficacy indicators are needed, especially in China, to confirm the findings.

Acupuncture for the postcholecystectomy syndrome: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Postcholecystectomy syndrome (PCS) is a term used to describe the persistence of biliary colic or right upper quadrant abdominal pain with a variety of postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms. Acupuncture and related treatments have shown clinical effects for PCS in many studies. But the systematic reviews and meta-analyses for them are lacking. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on the treatment of PCS.Methods:We will search 8 electronic databases, including the Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and 4 Chinese databases (CBM, Wanfang, VIP, and CNKI databases), and additional sources (WHO ICTRP, ChiCTR, Clinical Trials, Grey Literature Database), for potentially eligible studies. Literature retrieval, screening, and data extraction will be conducted by 2 researchers independently. In case of disagreement, a 3rd party shall be consulted to assist judgment. We will use RevmanV.5.3 to perform a fixed effect meta-analysis on the data of clinical homogeneity studies, and evidence's level will be assessed through the method for GRADE.Results:This systematic review and meta-analysis will put a high-quality synthesis of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment in PCS.Conclusion:The conclusion of this systematic review will provide evidence to assess acupuncture therapy is an efficacy and safe intervention to treat and control PCS.Ethics and dissemination:Since this article does not involve patients’ private data, no ethical approval is required. The agreement will be disseminated by peer-reviewed journals or conference reports.Trial registration number:PROSPERO CRD4201929287.

Safety of Acupuncture Treatments for Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults

Safety of Acupuncture Treatments for Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults

Abstract P1-11-16: Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for the hot flashes in breast cancer patients taking adjuvant tamoxifen: A multicenter study in Korean women

Abstract Background : Tamoxifen is widely used in premenopausal patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. Among the side-effects of tamoxifen, hot flashes is a common and challenging one. Previous pilot study suggested the effectiveness of acupuncture for relief of symptoms. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for treatment of hot flashes in Korean women breast cancer patients taking tamoxifen as adjuvant endocrine therapy. Methods : Thirty(30) breast cancer patients taking tamoxifen and reported moderate to severe hot flashes were enrolled from two institutes. Patients were randomly assigned into acupuncture group(n=15) and control group(n=15). The acupuncture group received acupuncture 3 times a week for 4 consecutive weeks, at 5 predefined points(GV 20, M-HN-3, HT 8, KI 10 and LV 2) for 20 ± 5minutes at each session. Control group received no treatment. The score of hot flash visual analogue scale(VAS) and total hot flash score, EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR 23 questionnaire were recorded before treatment, once every treatment week and 4 weeks after treatment for both groups. Results : Acupuncture group showed significantly reduced severity of hot flashes during treatment assessed with either VAS and total hot flash score (p=0.000 and p=0.008, respectively). Also, acupuncture group showed improvement of global health status and physical functioning score assessed with EORTC QLQ-C30 (p=0.004 and p=0.027, respectively). Four weeks after the treatment, these trends were retained. No adverse events were notified Conclusion : Acupuncture may have feasibility and safety for alleviate hot flashes of Korean women breast cancer patients taking tamoxifen as an adjuvant endocrine therapy. Long-term follow up results and further study with a larger sample size is required. Citation Format: Choi H, Jeong Y-j, Park S-H, Kwak M-A, Kim K-S, Lee Y, Park S. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for the hot flashes in breast cancer patients taking adjuvant tamoxifen: A multicenter study in Korean women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-11-16.

Acupuncture treatment on idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: A systematic review protocol.

Introduction:The objective of this systematic review protocol is to provide the methods for evaluating the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture on the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN).Methods and analysis:We will search randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on this subject in 8 electronic databases and they are Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Wan-Fang Database, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database). Other relevant literatures will be manually searched as a complement. Only RCTs related to acupuncture for ITN in English or Chinese will be included, without limitation of publication types. The risk of bias and trial quality will be assessed by the Cochrane collaboration's tool. All data will be analyzed by RevMan V.5.3.3 statistical software.Ethics and dissemination:Ethical approval is not necessary as this paper does not involve patient data. This protocol will be disseminated by a peer-review journal or conference presentation.Trial registration number:PROSPERO CRD42015022173Strengths and limitations of this study:This systematic review will evaluate the effectivity and safety of acupuncture treatment on idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Two authors will perform independently study selection, data extraction and quality assessment, in order to ensure that all included studies are not personal bias. The result of this systematic review may give clinicians more ways to assist patient in relieving trigeminal neuralgia.This shortage of systematic review is due to language barriers, only 2 languages of the trials can be included, other related studies may be missing. Different methods of acupuncture and quality of methodologies may result in essential heterogeneity.

Acupuncture for hyperlipidemia: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Acupuncture has been widely applied in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. But its efficacy has not been evaluated scientifically and systematically. Therefore, we provide a protocol of systematic evaluation to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment on patient with hyperlipidemia. We will search the following databases electronically, including 3 English literature databases (i.e., PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) and 4 Chinese literature databases (i.e., Chinese Biological and Medical database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, and Wanfang Database). We will also search randomized-controlled trials about acupuncture treatment for hyperlipidemia and the search time limit is from its establishment to October 2018. The primary outcome is lipid-lowering efficacy. Secondary outcomes are total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. We will use RevMan V.5.3 software as well to compute the data synthesis carefully when a meta-analysis is allowed. This study will provide a high-quality synthesis to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment on patient with hyperlipidemia. The conclusion of our systematic review will provide evidence to judge whether acupuncture is an effective intervention for patient with hyperlipidemia.

Clinical research on the efficacy and safety of thread-embedding acupuncture for treatment of herniated intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine: a protocol for a multicenter, randomized, patient\u2013assessor blinded, controlled, parallel, clinical trial

BackgroundA lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (LHIVD) is a common problem that usually causes lower back pain and neurological symptoms that manifest as radiating pain. Several studies have reported that thread-embedding acupuncture (TEA) is effective in the treatment of LHIVD. However, these studies were of low quality and there is therefore little clinical evidence for the effectiveness of TEA in this regard. The aim of the present study is to establish the clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of TEA in the treatment of pain, function, and quality of life in patients with LHIVD. The study uses a rigorously designed, full-scale, randomized clinical trial (RCT) protocol.Method/designThis is a multicenter, randomized, patient–assessor blinded, sham-controlled trial with two parallel arms. Seventy patients with LHIVD who have lower back pain more severe than 40 mm on the 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS), and who are aged 19–70 years, will be recruited and randomly allocated to a TEA group and sham TEA (STEA) group. Both groups will receive treatment on 23 predefined acupoints once a week for eight weeks; needles with the thread removed will be used in the STEA group, while normal TEA will be employed in the TEA group. Changes in the 100-mm VAS for lower back pain after eight weeks will be assessed as the primary outcome. Furthermore, the 100-mm VAS for radiating pain, Oswestry Disability Index, Roland–Morris disability questionnaire, EuroQol 5 Dimensions 5 Levels, and global perceived effect will be measured and analyzed as secondary outcomes. All outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after screening.DiscussionThe results of this trial will help to establish the clinical evidence regarding TEA in the treatment of patients with LHIVD.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03236753. Registered on August 2, 2017.Clinical Research Information Service of the Republic of Korea, KCT0002439. Registered on August 1, 2017.

Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture Treatment on Primary Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture Treatment on Primary Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Acupuncture Treatment for Post-Stroke Dysphagia: An Update Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

To explore the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in patients with post-stroke dysphagia by an update meta-analysis. Potentially eligible RCTs aimed to evaluate the effects of acupuncture vs. non-acupuncture treatments, such as rehabilitation training or routine medication on the swallowing difficulty after stroke were searched from PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and other database from the earliest record to June 2016. Patient demographics, regimens for acupuncture, type of controls, methods of randomization, and measurements of the clinical symptoms of dysphagia were retrieved. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of effective rate of dysphagia was calculated after intervention performed following admission. Subgroup analyses and a metaregression analysis were performed to describe the heterogeneity. Twenty-nine RCTs comprising 2,190 patients were included. The included studies had a medium quality grade based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) checklist. Acupuncture therapy provided a higher effective rate compared with nonacupuncture treatments [RR=1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25 to 1.43]. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses suggested that acupuncture intensity and measurement method were main sources of heterogeneity and resulted in a significant difference for pooled effect size. No severe adverse events were documented in these RCTs. Our meta-analysis provides a new evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treatment to post-stroke dysphagia in short-term compared with rehabilitation or medication. More high-quality and large-scale research studies are needed.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for elderly overactive bladder population in Hong Kong: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundOveractive bladder (OAB) is defined as “urgency, with or without urge incontinence, usually with frequency and nocturia”. Acupuncture is one of the most popular alternative treatment methods for OAB. Little established evidence is available to support the effectiveness of acupuncture for OAB. This study is a pioneer randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the elderly population with overactive bladder in Hong Kong.Methods/designThis is a randomized, double-center, patient and outcome assessor blinded, sham-controlled trial. The study sample size is 100 patients. Eligible subjects aged between 60 to 90 years old will be recruited into this study. All subjects will be randomly allocated into the active acupuncture group or sham acupuncture group in a 1: 1 ratio. Participants who are allocated into the active acupuncture group will receive a standardized 30-min real acupuncture treatment session for a total of 16 sessions on the top of standard routine care, whilst those who are randomized to the sham acupuncture arm will receive sham acupuncture in addition to standard routine care. Non-penetrating needles will be utilized as sham acupuncture. The primary outcome measure is the 7-day voiding diary and the secondary outcome measures are urine nerve growth factor (NGF) level, the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and OAB Symptom Score (OABSS). All outcome measures will be collected at baseline, the end of treatment and 3 months after treatment completion.DiscussionThe objectives of this study include (1) to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment in patients with OAB on reduction in the frequency of incontinence episodes as derived from a 7-day voiding diary, (2) to evaluate whether acupuncture treatment could improve subjective symptoms in patients with OAB and (3) to examine the feasibility of using NGF as a biomarker for overactive bladder and test correlation with the effectiveness of acupuncture intervention. The finding of this study will provide preliminary evidence on the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for treatment of OAB.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-INR-16010048. Registered on 29 Nov 2016.

Acupuncture Treatment for Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Aim of the Study This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the current evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment (AT), including electroacupuncture or thread-embedding therapy in combination with modern technology, for chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women. Materials and Methods We searched 12 electronic databases up to December 2017. All randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of AT for CPP were considered. Results Four RCTs with 474 participants were included. The methodological quality of included studies was generally low. The results of meta-analysis of two studies showed that AT combined with conventional treatment (CT) was associated with significantly reduced CPP, based on the total effectiveness rate (n=277, mean difference = 1.29, confidence interval = 1.13 to 1.47, P=0.0001, I2 = 0%). Conclusions This review suggests the potential of AT combined with CT compared to CT alone for treating female CPP. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that AT can be recommended as a complementary and alternative (CAM) treatment for women with CPP. To draw a firm conclusion, future studies should require not only lager, more rigorously designed RCTs but also research on different AT types. Protocol Registration Number This study is registered with PROSPERO 2018 (CRD42018088627).

A Systematic Review of Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Objectives : To evaluate and summarize the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment (AT) in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Methods : Fifteen databases (Pubmed, Cochrane, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, CNKI, Wanfang, and eight Korean databases) were searched up to September 2016. Only trials in which acupuncture was the sole treatment were included. Fatigue was used as the primary outcome measure, while the quality of life, pain, mood disorders, and adverse events were used as secondary outcome measures. We adopted three classifications: AT vs Sham AT, AT vs Wait-list, AT vs Western medication. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality. Results : A total of 11 randomized controlled trials involving 869 participants were identified. In comparison with Sham AT, AT significantly alleviated fatigue and pain, but no conclusions about the quality of life and mood disorders could be drawn. In the Wait-list group and Western medication groups, patients with CFS might feel less fatigued following acupuncture treatment, but the evidence was insufficient due to lack of study. Nine of 11 RCTs (81.8%) reported adverse events and there were two cases of mild subcutaneous hemorrhage, but no serious adverse cases. Conclusion : This review found evidence that patients with CFS may generally benefit from alleviation of symptoms by acupuncture treatment, and there is no evidence of worsening symptoms or causing of serious adverse events. A positive effect on fatigue and pain was observed, but no conclusion for improving quality of life and mood disorders.

Acupuncture Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis, an Experience from Egypt

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a major cause of pain and functional limitation worldwide, often treated by medical, physical, or surgical intervention. There are many treatment options, there is no single definite effective treatment. In patients in whom standard medical practice is ineffective and who are not candidates for surgery (or who reject it), other pain management procedures, as acupuncture should be considered. The aim of our study was to determine the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of OA of the knee. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial with blinded evaluation and statistical analysis of results. It was carried out at the Rheumatology, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department, Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt, over a period of two years. Sixty patients were randomly assigned and instructed to stop all treatment and only paracetamol was allowed for 2 weeks when patient followed weekly. Patients were divided into three groups each is of 20 patients; an intervention group treated with acupuncture plus manual needle stimulation (group I), second intervention group had electric stimulation (group II), and a control group given sham acupuncture (group III).Treatment were given twice weekly for 8 weeks, then stopped for another 5 weeks, when patients were followed on weekly basis. Our study results showed that patients in group I, II and III reported improvement of their pain, stiffness, and function domains of the WOMAC score, VAS and CI (clinical index) total. Regarding the safety of acupuncture for treatment of knee OA, we found that it is a safe and well tolerated modality with negligible adverse effects. We recommend that future studies in the area of pain and acupuncture must pay particular attention to; use of larger sample sizes, longer follow up periods to determine optimum maintenance regimes and treatment decay patterns.

Effect of acupuncture treatment on vascular cognitive impairment without dementia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundVascular cognitive impairment, no dementia (VCIND) is a condition at risk for future dementia and should be the target of preventive strategies. Preliminary evidence suggests that acupuncture may be a clinically effective intervention for people with early-stage vascular cognitive impairment. We will do a multicenter, 6-month, drug-controlled, nonblinded, randomized, parallel-group trial to determine whether acupuncture is effective for improving cognitive function and quality of life for patients with VCIND.Methods/DesignA total of 216 eligible patients will be recruited and randomly assigned acupuncture for two sessions/week (n = 108) or citicoline 300 mg/day (n = 108) in a multicenter, 6-month trial. The primary endpoint is cognition (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-cog)). Secondary endpoints include assessments of activities of daily living and behavioral symptoms (Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale (IADL)).DiscussionThis will be the first large-scale trial specifically evaluating acupuncture therapy in VCIND. If the study confirms the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment, it will be important to examine how the acupuncture approach could most effectively be integrated into the provision of routine healthcare.Trial registrationThis study is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial on 17 January 2014, number ISRCTN 82980206Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-15-442) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Abstract P3-09-11: Acupuncture for the treatment of lymphedema in breast cancer patients: A pilot study in Korean women

Abstract Purpose: Lymphedema is a troublesome complication of breast cancer treatment. Recent studies suggest that acupuncture is effective in improving lymphedema in breast cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of acupuncture for treatment of lymphedema in Korean breast cancer patients. Methods: This was a prospective, single-arm, observational study. Participants received 18 sessions of acupuncture, delivered 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Patients were evaluated 1 week before treatment commenced (baseline), once a week during treatment, and 4 weeks after the final acupuncture session. Recruitment was performed from September 2012 through December 2012, and 9 breast cancer patients presenting with lymphedema of the upper limb ipsilateral to surgery were enrolled. The primary outcome measure was severity of lymphedema assessed by stages of lymphedema, visual analogue scale (VAS) and circumferential measurements of the upper extremity. The secondary outcome measure was quality of life assessed by a self-administered questionnaire using the SF-36 Questionnaire. Results: Acupuncture significantly reduced the severity of lymphedema assessed by VAS (p<0.001) as well as circumferential measurements of upper extremity (p<0.001). Four weeks after the final treatment, symptoms were not aggravated. SF-36 scores remained significant for health status at the end of treatment (p = 0.018). No serious adverse events occurred in 162 treatment sessions and during the 4-week follow-up period. Conclusions: Our results showed the feasibility and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of lymphedema in Korean breast cancer patients. These findings suggest that acupuncture is a useful complementary and alternative treatment for improvement of lymphedema itself and related symptoms in breast cancer patients. A randomized controlled prospective study with a larger sample size is required to clarify the efficacy of acupuncture for such patients in Korea. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-09-11.

Acupuncture for the Treatment of Hot Flashes in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Antiestrogen Therapy: A Pilot Study in Korean Women

Antiestrogen therapy can cause vasomotor symptoms similar to those occurring during menopause, including hot flashes. Recent studies suggest that acupuncture is effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms in patients with breast cancer receiving tamoxifen. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of acupuncture for treatment of hot flashes in Korean patients with breast cancer receiving antiestrogen therapy. This was a prospective single-arm observational study using before and after measurements. The study was located at the East-West Medical Center at Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, Daegu, Korea. The subjects were 10 patients with breast cancer who were undergoing antiestrogen therapy with tamoxifen or anastrozole and who were suffering from hot flashes. Acupuncture was administered 3 times a week for 4 consecutive weeks, for 20±5 minutes at each session. The outcome measure was severity of hot flashes assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and total hot flash score. During treatment, severity of hot flashes was reduced by 70%-95% in all patients. Acupuncture significantly alleviated severity of hot flashes assessed by a visual analogue scale (F=30.261; p<0.001) as well as the total hot flash score (F=21.698; p=0.006). Four (4) weeks after the final treatment, symptoms were not aggravated. Acupuncture appeared to provide effective relief from hot flashes among Korean women receiving antiestrogen therapy after surgery for breast cancer, and the effects lasted for at least 1 month after termination of treatment. A randomized controlled prospective study with a larger sample size is required to clarify the role of acupuncture in the management of hot flashes in Korean patients with breast cancer.

Moxibustion for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Seung-Hoon Lee, Kun-Hyung Kim, Tae-Hun Kim, Jung-Eun Kim Joo-Hee Kim, Kyung-Won Kang, So-Young Jung, Ae-Ran Kim Hyo-Ju Park, Mi-Suk Shin, Kwon-Eui Hong, Sun-Mi Choi 1Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine 2Dept. of acupuncture & moxibustion, Pusan National University, Korean Medicine Hospital 3Dept. of acupuncture & Moxibusion, College of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon University Abstract Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of massive clinical research and to make a basic analysis on the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion treatment on knee osteoarthritis compared to usual care. Methods and Results : This study is a protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Forty participants are assigned to the moxibustion group (n=20) and usual care group (n=20). Participants assigned to the moxibustion group receive moxibustion treatment on the affected knee(s) at six standard acupuncture points (ST36, ST35, ST34, SP9, Ex-LE04 and SP10) three times per week for four weeks (total of 12 sessions). Participants in the usual care group don't receive moxibustion treatment during the study period and follow-up are made on the 5th, 9th and 13th weeks after random allocation. Both groups are allowed to use any kind of treatment, including surgery, conventional medication, physical treatment, acupuncture, herbal medicine, over-the-counter drugs and other active treatments. Education material that explains knee osteoarthritis and current management options and self-exercise is provided for each group. The pain scale of the Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Questionnaire (K-WOMAC) is the primary outcome measurement used in this study. Other subscales of the K-WOMAC, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Physical Function test, Patient Global Assessment, and Pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) are used as outcome variables to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture. Safety is assessed at every visit. Conclusions : The result of this trial will provide a basis for the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Idiopathic Chronic Fatigue: a Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives : Our aim is to evaluate feasibility for massive clinical research and to make basic analysis of efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue. Methods : This study is a protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. It was developed through literature searches and discussions among researchers. Results : Forty participants allocated to acupuncture group and wait-list group. Participants allocated to acupuncture group will be treated three times per week for a total of 12 sessions over four weeks. Eight points (GV20; bilatral GB20, BL11, BL13, BL15, BL18, BL20, BL23) have been selected for the acupuncture group. Participants in the wait-list group will not receive acupuncture treatment during study period and follow-up will be made in the 5th and 9th weeks after random allocation. Then the same acupuncture treatment as that performed to the acupuncture group will be made to the wait-list group. Fatigue Severity Scale, a short form of Stress Response Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Insomnia Severity Index will be used as outcome variables to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture. Safety will be assessed at every visit. Conclusions : The trial based on this study will be performed. The results of the trial will provide basis for the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue.

Systematic assessment of acupuncture treatment on eczema

Objective To analyze the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment on eczema for providing the objective and reliable evaluation.Methods Cochrane systematic review methods were adopted.The author searched data in the VIP database(1987～2009),Qing Hua Tong Fang database(1997～2009),and China Academic Journals' Full-text Database(CNKJ)(1997～2009)concerned on acupuncture treatment of eczema and evaluated by RCT. Odds ratio(OR) and 95%confidence interval(95%C1)were used as the statistic efficacy for analysis.The quality of the papers was analyzed according to the four quality evaluation criteria in Cochrane Handbook and then meta-analysis(Meta)by RevMan4.2.2 software.Results There were 19 relevant Papers of randomized controlled trials(RCT)and non-randomized controlled trial (CCT)met the included criteria Meta analysis showed that there were statistically significant difference between acupuncture and conventional treatment of eczema.Conclusion Acupuncture treatment can improve the efficiency and reduce the recurrence rate of eczema.However,due to relatively low methodological trial adopted in these included papers,more scientific clinical trial designs were expected for provided high quality papers used for statistical analysis. Key words: Acupuncture ; Eczema:Systematic reviews ; Meta analysis ;