Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Can individuals identify if needling was performed with an acupuncture needle or a non-penetrating sham needle?

Enblom, Anna LU ; Hammar, Mats ; Steineck, Gunnar and Borjeson, Sussanne (2008) In Complementary Therapies in Medicine 16(5). p.288-294
Abstract
A control treatment in acupuncture research must be credible, regardless if the needting is performed by one or by several therapists. Objective: To investigate if individuals could identify whether neediing had been given with an acupuncture needle or a sham needle and if the therapist influenced this ability. Design: Eighty individuals were randomized to one single needling given by one of four physiotherapists using either an invasive needle or a non-penetrating telescopic sham needle. Results: An equal proportion of individuals, 27 (68%), in the acupuncture group and the sham group answered incorrectly or was not sure at ail regarding needling type but the proportion varied between the therapists from 55 to 80% (ns). Bang's blinding... (More)
A control treatment in acupuncture research must be credible, regardless if the needting is performed by one or by several therapists. Objective: To investigate if individuals could identify whether neediing had been given with an acupuncture needle or a sham needle and if the therapist influenced this ability. Design: Eighty individuals were randomized to one single needling given by one of four physiotherapists using either an invasive needle or a non-penetrating telescopic sham needle. Results: An equal proportion of individuals, 27 (68%), in the acupuncture group and the sham group answered incorrectly or was not sure at ail regarding needling type but the proportion varied between the therapists from 55 to 80% (ns). Bang's blinding index was 0.20 (95% CI 0.03-0.36) in the acupuncture group and 0.10 (95% Cl 0.09-0.29) in the sham group (interpretation: 20 and 10% identified needling type beyond statistical chance). Acupuncture was on a four-grade scale rated as median "mildly painful" and sham as "not painful'' (ns). Pain ratings varied from median "not" to "mildly painful'' in the therapists (p=0.01). Conclusions: Two thirds of individuals needled by acupuncture as well as sham could not identify needling type and only 10-20% of the individuals were unblinded beyond chance. The therapists, not the needling type, influenced how painful the needling was perceived. Implications: To achieve blinding success in acupuncture efficacy studies using the sham needle, the needling procedure must be strictly standardized in order to minimize differences between the therapists. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. Atl, rights reserved. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Sham, Reliability, methodology, Acupuncture therapy, Blinding Research
in
Complementary Therapies in Medicine
volume
16
issue
5
pages
288 - 294
publisher
Churchill Livingstone
external identifiers
  • wos:000259915000007
  • scopus:50249087447
ISSN
0965-2299
DOI
10.1016/j.ctim.2008.02.012
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: The VĂ¥rdal Institute (016540000)
id
fcb03944-cc07-4c79-9638-92aba14e01f8 (old id 1285825)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:01:19
date last changed
2022-03-06 22:20:21
@article{fcb03944-cc07-4c79-9638-92aba14e01f8,
  abstract     = {{A control treatment in acupuncture research must be credible, regardless if the needting is performed by one or by several therapists. Objective: To investigate if individuals could identify whether neediing had been given with an acupuncture needle or a sham needle and if the therapist influenced this ability. Design: Eighty individuals were randomized to one single needling given by one of four physiotherapists using either an invasive needle or a non-penetrating telescopic sham needle. Results: An equal proportion of individuals, 27 (68%), in the acupuncture group and the sham group answered incorrectly or was not sure at ail regarding needling type but the proportion varied between the therapists from 55 to 80% (ns). Bang's blinding index was 0.20 (95% CI 0.03-0.36) in the acupuncture group and 0.10 (95% Cl 0.09-0.29) in the sham group (interpretation: 20 and 10% identified needling type beyond statistical chance). Acupuncture was on a four-grade scale rated as median "mildly painful" and sham as "not painful'' (ns). Pain ratings varied from median "not" to "mildly painful'' in the therapists (p=0.01). Conclusions: Two thirds of individuals needled by acupuncture as well as sham could not identify needling type and only 10-20% of the individuals were unblinded beyond chance. The therapists, not the needling type, influenced how painful the needling was perceived. Implications: To achieve blinding success in acupuncture efficacy studies using the sham needle, the needling procedure must be strictly standardized in order to minimize differences between the therapists. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. Atl, rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Enblom, Anna and Hammar, Mats and Steineck, Gunnar and Borjeson, Sussanne}},
  issn         = {{0965-2299}},
  keywords     = {{Sham; Reliability; methodology; Acupuncture therapy; Blinding Research}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{288--294}},
  publisher    = {{Churchill Livingstone}},
  series       = {{Complementary Therapies in Medicine}},
  title        = {{Can individuals identify if needling was performed with an acupuncture needle or a non-penetrating sham needle?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2008.02.012}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ctim.2008.02.012}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}