AIM June 2007 Text.qxd
نویسندگان
چکیده
Several validated sham acupuncture devices have recently become available. While some debate exists on whether such needles are the best placebo control for an RCT of acupuncture, practical advice based on research experience is missing from the literature. This paper shares our concrete experience using the most commonly used such sham needle (the ‘Streitberger needle’ and its paired verum needle) in a large RCT (n=135) which included a two-week run-in period. The placebo run-in gave us an opportunity to use the sham device on all participants, who were then re-randomised to receive genuine acupuncture or to continue treatment with the device. The blinding was successful both at the end of the run-in and at the conclusion of the trial despite the re-randomisation. We also report our experience with the sham needle in neuroimaging experiments where the magnetic machinery poses considerable challenges for acupuncture research.
منابع مشابه
AIM June 2007 Text.qxd
Background Pain is one of the principal symptoms for which the general public seeks medical attention, and it is frequently treated by GPs. Although acupuncture is mainly practised in the private field, it enjoys growing acceptance in the public system too, which helps bring down the high cost of its use. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture and related t...
متن کاملAIM June 2007 Text.qxd
ACUPUNCTURE IN MEDICINE 2007;25(1-2):22-28. 22 www.acupunctureinmedicine.org.uk/volindex.php Introduction The use of acupuncture in Australia has significantly increased over recent years. From 1993 to 2000, the percentage of the population that consulted an acupuncturist in the previous 12 months increased from 2.0% to 2.8%. Similar prevalence estimates have been reported for other countries. ...
متن کاملAIM Dec Supp 2006 Text.qxd
Background Patients are attracted to acupuncture partly by its reputation for having low risks. The safety of acupuncture should be established by positive evidence. Methods Two prospective surveys were conducted among different groups of professionals in the UK, including doctors, physiotherapists and practitioners primarily trained in acupuncture. Participants monitored adverse events over a ...
متن کاملAIM December 2008 Text.qxd
During the last five years a large number of randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) have been published on the efficacy of acupuncture in different conditions. In most of these studies verum is compared with sham acupuncture. In general both verum and sham have been found to be effective, and often with little reported difference in outcome. This has repeatedly led to the conclusion that ...
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