Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34458094›Full record

ReviewIntegrative medicine research2022

Historical perspectives on using sham acupuncture in acupuncture clinical trials.

Stephen Birch, Myeong Soo Lee, Tae-Hun Kim, Terje Alraek

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Integrative medicine research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
35citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

35 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Stephen BirchSchool of Health Sciences, Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway.
Myeong Soo LeeDivision of Clinical Medicine, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Tae-Hun KimKorean Medicine Clinical Trial Center, Korean Medicine Hospital, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Terje AlraekSchool of Health Sciences, Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTrials of acupuncture in the West began before textbooks about acupuncture were generally available. This placed trials at risk of possible faulty assumptions about the practice of acupuncture and adoption of problematic research assumptions and methods. Further, this lack of information has had an influence on the theories of developing a valid and reliable sham control treatment in clinical trials of acupuncture. This commentary explores these issues.

methodsLiterature review focussing on the time line of developments in the field, developments of sham interventions and use thereof and knowledge of physiological effects of needling.

resultsEarly trials demonstrated a lack of knowledge about acupuncture. As the methodology of trials improved, new sham treatment methods were developed and adopted; however, the sham treatment methods were implemented without physiological studies exploring their potential physiological effects and without examining the broader practice of acupuncture internationally.

conclusionsMistaken assumptions about the practice of acupuncture reinforced by paucity of physiological investigations are factors that led to use of inappropriate sham interventions for acupuncture trials. These not only lead to confusing or misleading trial results, they, as far as we can see underestimate the effects of acupuncture leading to bias against acupuncture. There are significant problems with sham interventions and how they are applied in trials of acupuncture. Further research is needed to explore the effects of this both for future trials and for interpreting existing evidence.

Indexed as

AcupunctureHistory sham acupunctureSham interventions

Identifiers

PMID34458094
PMCPMC8379290

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.