Analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controls

Identifying key acupuncture elements is essential for optimizing sham acupuncture controls. Based on the characteristics and current state of acupuncture therapy, this paper categorizes key acupuncture elements into types and contents. Taking the former as a clue, it examines the current understandi...

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Main Authors: Jian-fei NIU, Guan-qun WANG, Xiao-long XIE, Shuo DU, Bi-hui PENG, Ji-ping ZHAO
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-04-01
Series:World Journal of Acupuncture - Moxibustion
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1003525725000212
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author Jian-fei NIU
Guan-qun WANG
Xiao-long XIE
Shuo DU
Bi-hui PENG
Ji-ping ZHAO
author_facet Jian-fei NIU
Guan-qun WANG
Xiao-long XIE
Shuo DU
Bi-hui PENG
Ji-ping ZHAO
author_sort Jian-fei NIU
collection DOAJ
description Identifying key acupuncture elements is essential for optimizing sham acupuncture controls. Based on the characteristics and current state of acupuncture therapy, this paper categorizes key acupuncture elements into types and contents. Taking the former as a clue, it examines the current understanding of key acupuncture elements and underscores the need for further refinement to ensure that sham acupuncture controls more closely approximate physiological inertness. Additionally, it explores strategies and methodologies for advancing the understanding of key acupuncture elements from both the type and content perspectives. Key acupuncture elements should expand the number of included element types. Elements such as acupuncture needles, point selection, point combination, needle insertion, needle manipulation, and needle withdrawal should all be included, and they should be reported in a standardized manner in the trials. Regarding element content, improvements should be made in three key areas to enhance selection accuracy: 1. Strengthening the comprehensiveness of relevant theoretical frameworks. 2. Emphasizing the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis and acupoint palpation methods in trial application and reporting. 3. Continuously investigating the mechanisms underlying both the specific efficacy and the placebo efficacy of acupuncture.
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institution OA Journals
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language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series World Journal of Acupuncture - Moxibustion
spelling doaj-art-f76b71358fea4a4a80f2d91940c41e1c2025-08-20T01:50:30ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.World Journal of Acupuncture - Moxibustion1003-52572025-04-0135214515110.1016/j.wjam.2025.03.005Analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controlsJian-fei NIU0Guan-qun WANG1Xiao-long XIE2Shuo DU3Bi-hui PENG4Ji-ping ZHAO5Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China (北京中医药大学东直门医院, 北京 100700, 中国)Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China (北京中医药大学东直门医院, 北京 100700, 中国)Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China (北京中医药大学东直门医院, 北京 100700, 中国)Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China (北京中医药大学东直门医院, 北京 100700, 中国)Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China (北京中医药大学东直门医院, 北京 100700, 中国)Corresponding author.; Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China (北京中医药大学东直门医院, 北京 100700, 中国)Identifying key acupuncture elements is essential for optimizing sham acupuncture controls. Based on the characteristics and current state of acupuncture therapy, this paper categorizes key acupuncture elements into types and contents. Taking the former as a clue, it examines the current understanding of key acupuncture elements and underscores the need for further refinement to ensure that sham acupuncture controls more closely approximate physiological inertness. Additionally, it explores strategies and methodologies for advancing the understanding of key acupuncture elements from both the type and content perspectives. Key acupuncture elements should expand the number of included element types. Elements such as acupuncture needles, point selection, point combination, needle insertion, needle manipulation, and needle withdrawal should all be included, and they should be reported in a standardized manner in the trials. Regarding element content, improvements should be made in three key areas to enhance selection accuracy: 1. Strengthening the comprehensiveness of relevant theoretical frameworks. 2. Emphasizing the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis and acupoint palpation methods in trial application and reporting. 3. Continuously investigating the mechanisms underlying both the specific efficacy and the placebo efficacy of acupuncture.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1003525725000212Key acupuncture elementsPlacebo acupunctureSham acupunctureExplanatory randomized controlled trials
spellingShingle Jian-fei NIU
Guan-qun WANG
Xiao-long XIE
Shuo DU
Bi-hui PENG
Ji-ping ZHAO
Analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controls
World Journal of Acupuncture - Moxibustion
Key acupuncture elements
Placebo acupuncture
Sham acupuncture
Explanatory randomized controlled trials
title Analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controls
title_full Analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controls
title_fullStr Analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controls
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controls
title_short Analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controls
title_sort analysis of key therapeutic elements in acupuncture therapy and placebo acupuncture controls
topic Key acupuncture elements
Placebo acupuncture
Sham acupuncture
Explanatory randomized controlled trials
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1003525725000212
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