1. Acupuncture for the Treatment of Itch: Literature Review and Future Perspectives
- Author
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Kevin Yun Kim, Wu Tu Hsing, André Wan Wen Tsai, and Jessica Shen Tsy Wu Kim
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Randomization ,business.industry ,Traditional Chinese medicine ,Acupuncture treatment ,030205 complementary & alternative medicine ,Clinical trial ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Systematic review ,Complementary and alternative medicine ,Acupuncture ,medicine ,CME Article ,Pooled data ,Observational study ,030212 general & internal medicine ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,Intensive care medicine ,business - Abstract
Background: Chronic pruritus is a prevalent, multifactorial and debilitating condition that is often underestimated. This article reviews current evidence to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of itch. Results: Although many researchers have conducted observational studies, clinical trials, and systematic reviews on the subject, the lack of more-robust and well-designed studies to prove the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of itch is evident. Many published studies are of poor quality, with no clear description of randomization methods, and an absence of control groups and measurable clinical outcomes. In addition, a lack of standardization in methods for assessing pruritus and the acupuncture treatment protocols hinders more-comprehensive and higher-quality pooled data analysis. Conclusions: Current evidence cannot fully support acupuncture for the treatment of itch yet.
- Published
- 2021
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