ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2013
An exploration of the needling depth in acupuncture: the safe needling depth and the needling depth of clinical efficacy.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Western medical acupuncture techniques for pain management in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Intradermal Acupuncture Along with Analgesics for Pain Control in Advanced Cancer Cases: A Pilot, Randomized, Patient-Assessor-Blinded, Controlled Trial.Integrative cancer therapies · 2018Trial
- Comparison of the placebo effect between different non-penetrating acupuncture devices and real acupuncture in healthy subjects: a randomized clinical trial.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2016Trial
- Is Acupuncture Efficacious for Treating Phonotraumatic Vocal Pathologies? A Randomized Control Trial.Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation · 2016Trial
- Wound-healing effect of acupuncture for treating phonotraumatic vocal pathologies: A cytokine study.The Laryngoscope · 2016Trial
- Effect and safety of deep needling and shallow needling for functional constipation: a multicenter, randomized controlled trial.Medicine · 2014Trial
- Quantifying the therapeutic index of acupoints using measurements of effective and hazardous depths.Integrative medicine research · 2026Article
- Lumbar epidural haematoma after acupuncture: a case report and review of the literature.Journal of medical case reports · 2026Review
- Revolutionizing the understanding of acupoint biology and acupuncture mechanisms through spatial omics: current perspectives and future directions.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Acupuncture Safety in Taiwan.Medical acupuncture · 2025Article
- Severe periocular ecchymosis following acupuncture therapy for dry eye: a report of two cases.Journal of surgical case reports · 2025Article
- From Needles to Photons: Clinical Efficacy, Safety, and Mechanistic Insights of Laser Acupuncture in Insomnia Management.Nature and science of sleep · 2025Review
- A deeper understanding of acupoints: Are superficial landmarks enough?Integrative medicine research · 2024Article
- Is acupuncture safe in the ICU? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
- Using magnetic resonance imaging to measure the depth of acupotomy points in the lumbar spine: A retrospective study.Integrative medicine research · 2021Article
- Overall Reporting Descriptions of Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Randomized Controlled Trials in English Journals.Journal of pain research · 2021Review
- Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture on Rheumatoid Arthritis and Associated Mechanisms: A Systemic Review.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2018Review
- Development of an ultrasound-imaging procedure and acquisition of ultrasound images of acupuncture points for safety and accuracy of needle insertion.Integrative medicine research · 2017Article
- Safety of different acupuncture manipulations for posterior circulation ischemia with vertigo.Neural regeneration research · 2016Article
- Safe needling depths of upper back acupoints in children: a retrospective study.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective. To explore the existing scientific information regarding safe needling depth of acupuncture points and the needling depth of clinical efficacy. Methods. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases to identify relevant monographs and related references from 1991 to 2013. Chinese journals and theses/dissertations were hand searched. Results. 47 studies were recruited and divided into 6 groups by measuring tools, that is, MRI, in vivo evaluation, CT, ultrasound, dissected specimen of cadavers, and another group with clinical efficacy. Each research was analyzed for study design, definition of safe depth, and factors that would affect the measured depths. Depths of clinical efficacy were discussed from the perspective of de-qi and other clinical observations. Conclusions. Great inconsistency in depth of each point measured from different subject groups and tools exists. The definition of safe depth should be established through standardization. There is also lack of researches to compare the clinical efficacy. A well-designed clinical trial selecting proper measuring tools to decide the actual and advisable needling depth for each point, to avoid adverse effects or complications and promote optimal clinical efficacy, is a top priority.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.