Acupuncture: does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews

doi:10.1016/j.pain.2010.11.004

Review

. 2011 Apr;152(4):755-764.

doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.11.004.

Acupuncture: does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews

E Ernst¹, Myeong Soo Lee, Tae-Young Choi

Affiliations

Affiliation

¹ Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Exeter, UK Division of Standard Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.

PMID: 21440191
DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.11.004

Review

Acupuncture: does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews

E Ernst et al. Pain. 2011 Apr.

. 2011 Apr;152(4):755-764.

doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.11.004.

Authors

E Ernst¹, Myeong Soo Lee, Tae-Young Choi

Affiliation

¹ Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Exeter, UK Division of Standard Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.

PMID: 21440191
DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.11.004

Abstract

Acupuncture is commonly used for pain control, but doubts about its effectiveness and safety remain. This review was aimed at critically evaluating systematic reviews of acupuncture as a treatment of pain and at summarizing reports of serious adverse effects published since 2000. Literature searches were carried out in 11 databases without language restrictions. Systematic reviews were considered for the evaluation of effectiveness and case series or case reports for summarizing adverse events. Data were extracted according to predefined criteria. Fifty-seven systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Four were of excellent methodological quality. Numerous contradictions and caveats emerged. Unanimously positive conclusions from more than one high-quality systematic review existed only for neck pain. Ninety-five cases of severe adverse effects including 5 fatalities were included. Pneumothorax and infections were the most frequently reported adverse effects. In conclusion, numerous systematic reviews have generated little truly convincing evidence that acupuncture is effective in reducing pain. Serious adverse effects continue to be reported. Numerous reviews have produced little convincing evidence that acupuncture is effective in reducing pain. Serious adverse events, including deaths, continue to be reported.

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Comment in

Acupuncture's claims punctured: not proven effective for pain, not harmless.
Hall H. Hall H. Pain. 2011 Apr;152(4):711-712. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.01.039. Pain. 2011. PMID: 21440190 Review. No abstract available.
Evidence on acupuncture safety needs to be based on large-scale prospective surveys, not single case reports.
Witt CM, Lao L, MacPherson H. Witt CM, et al. Pain. 2011 Sep;152(9):2180. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.04.010. Epub 2011 May 6. Pain. 2011. PMID: 21550172 No abstract available.
Letter to the Editor in response to: Ernst E, Lee MS, Choi TY. Acupuncture: does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews. Pain 2011;152:755-764.
Manheimer E, Berman BM. Manheimer E, et al. Pain. 2011 Sep;152(9):2179-2180. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.04.009. Epub 2011 May 6. Pain. 2011. PMID: 21550173 No abstract available.
Acupuncture review skepticism.
Mooney J. Mooney J. Pain. 2011 Sep;152(9):2184. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.05.010. Epub 2011 Jun 12. Pain. 2011. PMID: 21669493 No abstract available.
Certain doubts and uncertain fears of acupuncture.
Usichenko TI, Pavlovic D, Anders E. Usichenko TI, et al. Pain. 2011 Sep;152(9):2182-2183. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.05.013. Epub 2011 Jun 15. Pain. 2011. PMID: 21680093 No abstract available.
Comment on Ernst et al. Acupuncture: does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews. [Pain 2011;152:755-764].
Bäumler P, Irnich D. Bäumler P, et al. Pain. 2011 Sep;152(9):2181-2182. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.05.012. Epub 2011 Jul 22. Pain. 2011. PMID: 21778019 No abstract available.
Comment on ''Acupuncture: does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews" Ernst et al. [Pain 2011;152:755-764].
Karst M. Karst M. Pain. 2011 Sep;152(9):2181. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.05.008. Epub 2011 Jul 23. Pain. 2011. PMID: 21783323 No abstract available.
ACP Journal Club. Review: evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture for pain is mixed.
Denman M. Denman M. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Aug 16;155(4):JC2-6. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-155-4-201108160-02006. Ann Intern Med. 2011. PMID: 21844539 No abstract available.

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Safety of different acupuncture manipulations for posterior circulation ischemia with vertigo.
Wen Y, Zhang C, Zhao XF, Deng SZ, He S, Huang LH, Tian G, Meng ZH. Wen Y, et al. Neural Regen Res. 2016 Aug;11(8):1267-73. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.189191. Neural Regen Res. 2016. PMID: 27651774 Free PMC article.
Pneumothorax after acupuncture.
Huisma F, Konrad G, Thomas S. Huisma F, et al. Can Fam Physician. 2015 Dec;61(12):1071-3. Can Fam Physician. 2015. PMID: 26668286 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
Cervical spinal epidural abscess secondary to acupuncture: a case report and literature review.
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Acupuncture-induced changes in functional connectivity of the primary somatosensory cortex varied with pathological stages of Bell's palsy.
He X, Zhu Y, Li C, Park K, Mohamed AZ, Wu H, Xu C, Zhang W, Wang L, Yang J, Qiu B. He X, et al. Neuroreport. 2014 Oct 1;25(14):1162-8. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000000246. Neuroreport. 2014. PMID: 25121624 Free PMC article.
A survey of evidence users about the information need of acupuncture clinical evidence.
Shi X, Wang X, Liu Y, Li X, Wei D, Zhao X, Gu J, Yang K. Shi X, et al. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Nov 10;16(1):455. doi: 10.1186/s12906-016-1434-0. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016. PMID: 27829426 Free PMC article.

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References

1. Ara M, de Santamaria CS, Zaballos P, Yus C, Lezcano MA. Mycobacterium chelonae infection with multiple cutaneous lesions after treatment with acupuncture. Int J Dermatol. 2003;42:642-644.
1. Bang MS, Lim SH. Paraplegia caused by spinal infection after acupuncture. Spinal Cord. 2006;44:258-259.
1. Bradbury A, Botancor J, White A. Nystagmus following acupuncture—case report. Acupunct Med. 2006;24:33-34.
1. Brouard M, Kaya G, Vecchietti G, Chavaz P, Harms M. Basal cell carcinoma of the earlobe after auricular acupuncture. Dermatology. 2002;204:142-144.
1. Campbell A, Macglashan J. Acupuncture-induced galactorrhoea—a case report. Acupunct Med. 2005;23:146.

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[1] Ara M, de Santamaria CS, Zaballos P, Yus C, Lezcano MA. Mycobacterium chelonae infection with multiple cutaneous lesions after treatment with acupuncture. Int J Dermatol. 2003;42:642-644.

[2] Ara M, de Santamaria CS, Zaballos P, Yus C, Lezcano MA. Mycobacterium chelonae infection with multiple cutaneous lesions after treatment with acupuncture. Int J Dermatol. 2003;42:642-644.

[3] Bang MS, Lim SH. Paraplegia caused by spinal infection after acupuncture. Spinal Cord. 2006;44:258-259.

[4] Bang MS, Lim SH. Paraplegia caused by spinal infection after acupuncture. Spinal Cord. 2006;44:258-259.

[5] Bradbury A, Botancor J, White A. Nystagmus following acupuncture—case report. Acupunct Med. 2006;24:33-34.

[6] Bradbury A, Botancor J, White A. Nystagmus following acupuncture—case report. Acupunct Med. 2006;24:33-34.

[7] Brouard M, Kaya G, Vecchietti G, Chavaz P, Harms M. Basal cell carcinoma of the earlobe after auricular acupuncture. Dermatology. 2002;204:142-144.

[8] Brouard M, Kaya G, Vecchietti G, Chavaz P, Harms M. Basal cell carcinoma of the earlobe after auricular acupuncture. Dermatology. 2002;204:142-144.

[9] Campbell A, Macglashan J. Acupuncture-induced galactorrhoea—a case report. Acupunct Med. 2005;23:146.

[10] Campbell A, Macglashan J. Acupuncture-induced galactorrhoea—a case report. Acupunct Med. 2005;23:146.

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Acupuncture: does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews

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Acupuncture: does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews

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