| Excluded study | Acupuncture group (number) | Medication group (number) | RR/MD (95% CI) | P value | Heterogeneity test | Effect model |
| Effectiveness | | | | | | | Before excluding | 780 | 771 | 1.21 (1.16, 1.25) | | , | Fixed | Chen, 2007 | 750 | 741 | 1.21 (1.16, 1.25) | | , | Fixed | Chen, 2010 | 750 | 741 | 1.21 (1.16, 1.25) | | , | Fixed | Huang, 2014 | 740 | 735 | 1.20 (1.15, 1.24) | | , | Fixed | Qiu, 2013 | 693 | 684 | 1.20 (1.15, 1.24) | | , | Fixed | Wang, 2014 | 740 | 731 | 1.20 (1.15, 1.25) | | , | Fixed | Zhai, 2012 | 752 | 743 | 1.21 (1.16, 1.25) | | , | Fixed | Zhang, 1993 | 360 | 351 | 1.29 (1.20, 1.39) | | , | Fixed | Zhang, 2012 | 705 | 701 | 1.20 (1.15, 1.24) | | , | Fixed | Zhu, 2011 | 750 | 741 | 1.21 (1.16, 1.25) | | , | Fixed | Pain intensity | | | | | | | Before excluding | 121 | 120 | −1.25 (−1.63, −0.86) | | , | Fixed | Chen, 2010 | 91 | 90 | −1.11 (−1.53, −0.70) | | , | Fixed | Dong, 2008 | 61 | 60 | −1.52 (−2.38, −0.66) | | , | Random | Ye, 2015 | 90 | 90 | −1.44 (−2.65, −0.24) | | , | Random | Pain threshold | | | | | | | Before excluding | 160 | 150 | 1.08 (0.98, 1.17) | | , | Fixed | Chen, 2007 | 130 | 120 | 1.06 (0.91, 1.22) | | , | Random | Chen_1, 2007 | 130 | 120 | 1.13 (1.02, 1.24) | | , | Fixed | Liu, 2012 | 130 | 120 | 1.06 (0.91, 1.21) | | , | Random | Liu_1, 2012 | 130 | 130 | 1.11 (0.96, 1.25) | | , | Fixed | Wang, 2014 | 120 | 110 | 1.03 (0.91, 1.16) | | , | Fixed |
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