Robert W. Rebar, MD reviewing Liu Z et al. JAMA 2017 Jun 27. Wu X-K et al. JAMA 2017 Jun 27. Briggs JP and Shurtleff D. JAMA 2017 Jun 27.

Trial results remain mixed.

The role of acupuncture in Western medicine remains to be defined. Now, two trials in China suggest that acupuncture may be effective for managing stress urinary incontinence (SUI), but not for inducing ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

In the SUI trial, 504 women with SUI were randomized to 18 sessions of lumbosacral electroacupuncture or sham electroacupuncture (no skin penetration). At week 6, the acupuncture group had a greater decrease from baseline (P<0.001) in mean urine leakage than did the sham group. About 65% of women in the acupuncture group and 22% of those in the sham group experienced decreases in urinary leakage of ≥50% (considered a clinical improvement). Similar proportions of women in the acupuncture (31 of 41) and sham (29 of 42) groups believed they were receiving true electroacupuncture.

In the ovulation trial, 1000 PCOS patients were randomized 1:1:1:1 to active or control acupuncture and clomiphene citrate or placebo until pregnancy was achieved or for ≤4 cycles. Active acupuncture involved sites with ovarian and uterine innervation, whereas control acupuncture involved sites with no known pelvic organ innervation. Live births occurred in 29% of the active acupuncture/clomiphene group, 28% of the control acupuncture/clomiphene group, 14% of the active acupuncture/placebo group, and 17% of the control acupuncture/placebo group. Live birth rates were significantly higher in women who received clomiphene compared with placebo (29% vs. 15%) and did not differ with active or control acupuncture (22% in each group).

CITATION(S):

Liu Z et al. Effect of electroacupuncture on urinary leakage among women with stress urinary incontinence: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2017 Jun 27; 317:2493. 

Wu X-K et al. Effect of acupuncture and clomiphene in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2017 Jun 27; 317:2502.

Briggs JP and Shurtleff D.Acupuncture and the complex connections between the mind and the body. JAMA 2017 Jun 27; 317:2489.

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