|
| Study | Clinical conditions | Number of randomized patients* | Allocation concealment | Treatment duration (session) | Sham type |
|
| Scharf et al. [15] | Knee osteoarthritis | 709 (367, 342) | Central randomization | 6 weeks (10†) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
| Brinkhaus et al. [16] | Low back pain | 154 (75, 79) | Centralized telephone randomization | 8 weeks (12) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
| Witt et al. [17] | Knee osteoarthritis | 150 (76, 74) | Centralized telephone randomization | 8 weeks (12) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
| Linde et al. [18] | Migraine | 157 (81, 76) | Centralized telephone randomization | 8 weeks (12) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
| Melchart et al. [19] | Tension-type headache | 138 (63, 75) | Centralized telephone randomization | 8 weeks (12) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
| Molsberger et al. [20] | Low back pain | 121 (61, 60) | Central telephone randomization | 4 weeks (12) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
| Leibing et al. [21] | Low back pain | 100 (50, 50) | Unclear | 12 weeks (20) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
| Foster et al. [22] | Knee osteoarthritis | 235 (119, 116) | Centralized telephone randomization | 3 weeks (6) | Nonpenetrating needles at acupoints |
| Cherkin et al. [23] | Low back pain | 323 (162, 161) | Central randomization | 7 weeks (10) | Toothpick at acupoints |
| Kotani et al. [24] | Abdominal scar pain | 46 (23, 23) | Sequentially sealed opaque envelopes | 4 weeks (20) | Normal needling at nonpainful points |
| S. H. Lee and B.C. Lee [25] | Prostatitis | 26 (13, 13) | Unclear | 6 weeks (12) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints and mock electrical stimulation |
| Helms [26] | Primary dysmenorrhea | 22 (11, 11) | Unclear | 12 weeks (9) | Normal needling at nonacupoints |
| Sprott [27] | Fibromyalgia | 20 (10, 10) | Unclear | 3 weeks (6) | Disconnected laser instrument |
| Greco et al. [28] | Systemic lupus erythematosus | 16 (8, 8) | Sequentially sealed opaque envelopes | 5 weeks (10) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
| Suarez-Almazor et al. [29] | Knee osteoarthritis | 374 (302, 72) | Sequentially sealed opaque envelopes | 6 weeks (12) | Superficial needling at nonacupoints |
|
