Analysis and Thoughts about the Negative Results of International Clinical Trials on Acupuncture

Table 5

Intervention of 17 research reports with negative results or placebo effects.

Number	Disease	Intervention	Acupoint	Treatment frequency	Needling response	Qualification of acupuncturist
1	Constipation	Moxibustion	ST 23, ST 27	3 times/week	Unmentioned	Experience of more than five years
2	Chronic neuralgia	Sham-electroacupuncture after electroacupuncture for 12 weeks	ST36, SP6, LR3, BL60	1 time/week	Unmentioned	Unmentioned
3	Infantile colic	Acupuncture	LI 4	2 times/week	Unmentioned	Certificated nurse practitioner
4	Malposition	Moxibustion	BL 67	2 times/day	Unmentioned	Operation by patients themselves who are trained
5	Nausea and vomiting when delivery	Wrist band stimulating to acupoint	PC 6	1 time/week	Unmentioned	Unmentioned
6	Aids to delivery	Acupuncture	BL 67, LI 4, SP 6 and DU 20	2 times/day	Unmentioned	Acupuncturists and midwives, who often implement acupuncture treatment
7	Lumbago and backache	Lidocaine acupoint injection	GB30, BL31, BL52, GV3, ā shì points, GB34, GB 41, BL60, KI4, TE5	1 time/week	Unmentioned	3-year training and 8-year clinical experience
8	Knee osteoarthritis	Physical therapy plus verum acupuncture	Selecting 6 to 10 acupoints from SP9, SP10, ST 34, ST35, ST36, EX-LE5, GB 34, ā shì points, remote end: LI 4, SP 6, LR 3, ST 44, KI 3, BL 60, and GB 41	2 times/week	Yes	67 physical therapists reaching the lowest acupuncture level required by Acupuncture Association.
9	Knee joint pain of postmenopause women	Routine nursing plus acupressure	EX-LE4, ST35, SP 10, ST 34, ST 36, SP 9, GB 34, and EX-LE2	1 time/day	Unmentioned	Operation by patients themselves
10	Emergency treatment	Routine treatment plus acupuncture	Operation according to traditional Chinese medical standards	1 time/day	Unmentioned	Eligible acupuncturists having the experience of 6–22 years
11	Irritable bowel syndrome	Acupuncture	8-16 acupoints (no specific acupoints are mentioned)	1 time/week	Yes	Members approved by British Acupuncture Association
12	Woman health	Acupressure at SP 6	SP 6	Every day during menstrual period	Unmentioned	Trained about finger force practice
13	Polycystic ovarian syndrome	Electroacupuncture	Electroacupuncture: BL23 on two sides, BL 28, SP 6, and SP 9	Two times/week within the first four weeks, and one time/week within later four weeks	Unmentioned	Acupuncturists with the experience of five years
14	Emesis	Acupuncture	PC 6	Three times/week to two times/week	Yes	Unmentioned
15	Irritable bowel syndrome	Acupuncture	CV10, ST25, LR 3, SP4, PC6, ST 37	Unmentioned	Yes	2000-hour training and experience of more than four years
16	Low back pain	Acupuncture	Unmentioned	Two times/week	Yes	Physicians from various majors, trained about acupuncture more than 140 hours
17	Smoking cessation	Acupuncture	HT 7, PC 7, HT 8, KI 3, and KI 6	Three times/week	Yes	Unmentioned