The safety of acupuncture.

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

1. Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture and or Moxibustion for Managing Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Clinical nursing research · 2022
   Pooled it
2. Complementary and alternative medicine modalities used to treat adverse effects of anti-cancer treatment among children and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2022
   Pooled it
3. Guideline Acupuncture for low back pain: a clinical practice guideline from the Hong Kong taskforce of standardized acupuncture practice.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2022
   Guideline
4. The effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2019
   Pooled it
5. Acupuncture for depression.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
   Pooled it
6. Acupuncture for treating fibromyalgia.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013
   Pooled it
7. Is Acupuncture Effective in Diminishing Frown Lines? Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025
   Trial
8. Acupuncture for comorbid depression and insomnia in perimenopause: A feasibility patient-assessor-blinded, randomized, and sham-controlled clinical trial.Frontiers in public health · 2023
   Trial
9. Health-Related Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.The oncologist · 2021
   Trial
10. Effectiveness of acupuncture in rehabilitation of physical and functional disorders of women undergoing breast cancer surgery.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2016
    Trial
11. A pilot study of acupuncture in treating bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with multiple myeloma.Integrative cancer therapies · 2014
    Trial
12. Treatments of pelvic girdle pain in pregnant women: adverse effects of standard treatment, acupuncture and stabilising exercises on the pregnancy, mother, delivery and the fetus/neonate.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2008
    Trial
13. Pilot study of acupuncture for the treatment of joint symptoms related to adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy in postmenopausal breast cancer patients.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2007
    Trial
14. The effect of TCM acupuncture on hot flushes among menopausal women (ACUFLASH) study: a study protocol of an ongoing multi-centre randomised controlled clinical trial.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2007
    Trial
15. Acupuncture treatment for Sjögren's syndrome: a narrative review on mechanism of treatment and clinical application.Frontiers in immunology · 2026
    Review
16. Acupuncture for insomnia.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Article
17. Effects of Manual Acupuncture Versus Sham Acupuncture in patients with Post-Stroke Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Neurology and therapy · 2024
    Article
18. The Oral Microbial Ecosystem in Age-Related Xerostomia: A Critical Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024
    Review
19. Masticator space abscess following intramuscular stimulation.BMJ case reports · 2022
    Article
20. An Observational Study Using Ultrasound to Assess Allowable Needle Insertion Range of Acupoint CV12.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022
    Article

Corrections and comments

• Commented on by
  Safety of acupuncture. Studies of safety must look at communication and organisational issues.2002
• Comment on
  Adverse events following acupuncture: prospective survey of 32 000 consultations with doctors and physiotherapists.2001
• Comment on
  The York acupuncture safety study: prospective survey of 34 000 treatments by traditional acupuncturists.2001

Authors and funding

1 author.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

Abstract

PubMed holds no abstract for this paper.

Indexed as