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Acupuncture in the treatment of tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aimed at a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using acupuncture to treat tinnitus. Five electronic databases, in both English and Chinese, were searched. All studies in our review and meta-analysis included parallel RCTs of tinnitus patients which compared subjects receiving acupuncture (or its other forms, such as electroacupuncture) to subjects receiving no treatment, sham treatment, drugs or basic medical therapy. Data from the articles were validated and extracted using a predefined data extraction form. Nearly all of Chinese studies reported positive results, while most of English studies reported negative results. Analysis of the combined data found that the acupuncture treatments seemed to provide some advantages over conventional therapies for tinnitus. It had difference in acupuncture points and sessions between Chinese studies and English studies. Methodological flaws were also found in many of the RCTs, especially in Chinese studies. The results of this review suggest that acupuncture therapy may offer subjective benefit to some tinnitus patients. Acupuncture points and sessions used in Chinese studies may be more appropriate, whereas these studies have many methodological flaws and risk bias, which prevents us making a definitive conclusion.

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Conflict of interest

No conflict to disclose. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81373880) and Shandong Science & Technology development programme of TCM (No. 2013-195).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, 324 Jingwuweiqi Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

    Fenye Liu

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, 42 Wenhuaxi Road Jinan, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

    Xiuli Han

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital, 16766 Jingshi Road, Jinan, 250014, People’s Republic of China

    Yunfeng Li

  4. Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital, 16766 Jingshi Road, Jinan, 250014, People’s Republic of China

    Shudong Yu

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  1. Fenye Liu
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  2. Xiuli Han
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  4. Shudong Yu
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Correspondence to Shudong Yu.

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Liu, F., Han, X., Li, Y. et al. Acupuncture in the treatment of tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 273, 285–294 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3341-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3341-7

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