Review Article

Acupuncture Points Stimulation for Meniere’s Disease/Syndrome: A Promising Therapeutic Approach

Table 2

Interventions and outcome assessment of included studies.

StudyDiagnostic criteriaT (main acupoints)Control treatmentTreatment durationMain outcomeFollow-up

Chen and Wu 2004 [28]TCM effective criteria 1994MA (DU20, GB8, SI19, GB2, SJ5, GB41, ST36)
+ moxibustion (DU20)
WMCT (niacin, VB6, ATP injection)20 days
Once a day 20 min
Effective rate6 months

Mao et al. 2014 [29]TCM effective criteria 1994MA: sufficiency syndrome (DU20, GB20, LR3, PC6, SL19);
deficiency syndrome (DU20, GB20, BL18, BL23); Deqi
WMCT (oral betahistine)7 days
Once a day 20 min
Effective rate2 months

Zhang 2013 [30]TCM effective criteria 1994Ear acupuncture (kidney, spleen, ear shen men, internal ear)WMCT (glucose, VB6 solution injection; chlorpromazine tablets, oral oryzanolum)30 days
Keeping for 7 days
Effective rateNot reported

Xie and Wang 2014 [31]TCM effective criteria 1994Acupoint injection (PC6, LR3)WMCT (niacin, oral VB6)5 days
Once a day
Effective rateNot reported

Gao and Ni 2002 [32] Criteria 1997Scalp acupuncture (MS 6, MS 7) + WMCTWMCT (buflomedil hydrochloride, hydrochloric acid, Danshen injection)30 days
Once a day
Manual operation for 5 min and then a pause for 3 min, 3 times totally
Effective rate2 years

Zhu 2003 [33]Criteria 1997MA (DU20, GB20, SI19)
+ WMCT
WMCT (glucose, ATP, Danshen injection)30 days
Once a day
30 min
Effective rate2 years

Huang et al. 2010 [35]Criteria 1997MA (DU20, PC20, SI19, ST 36, SI19, SJ21) + moxibustion (DU20) + acupoint injection (GB34) + WMCTWMCT (gastrodin injection, oral flunarizine)10 days
Once a day
20 min
Effective rate2 years

Wang et al.
2011 [36]
TCM effective criteria 1994MA (DU20, GB20, DU16, SJ17, SI19)
+ WMCT
WMCT (betahistine, Danshen injection), Deqi30 days
Once a day
30 min
Effective rate2 years

Zhang 2013 [37]TCM effective criteria 1994Auricular-plaster (kidney, spleen, ear shen men, internal ear)
+ WMCT
with vaccaria seed
WMCT (oral flunarizine)12 days
Once every two days
Effective
rate
Not reported

Mo 2010 [38]TCM effective criteria 1994Acupoint injection (ST 40, ST36)WMCT (anisodamine solution injection, chlorpromazine tablet, oral flunarizine)Not reported
Once a day
Effective
rate
6 months

Wu 2011 [39]DHIMA (DU20, GB20,
LR3, GB12, SJ4, GB2)
WMCT (oral sibelium)6 days
Once a day
30 min
DHINot reported

Sun et al. 2014 [40]DHIAcupressure (Diaoshi Jifa)WMCT (Ginkgo injection)1 day
Once a day
DHINo follow-up

Note. MA: manual acupuncture; T: treatment group; C: control group; WMCT: western medicine comprehensive treatment; Criteria 1997: Chinese Medical Association of Otorhinolaryngology criteria 1997.