Table 1 Main characteristics of the data and study outcomes used for analysis
ID | Study 1st author, year | Location | Pain group (type) | Age – mean (SD) | Trial follow-up period / Time point used in the analysis (months) | Treatment | Obser-vations | HRQoL outcome mapped | Pain outcome standardised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Diener 2006 [46] | Germany | Headache (migraine) | 37.62 (10.4) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 328 | SF-12 | Migraine days |
Sham acupuncture | 202 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 305 | ||||||||
2 | Endres 2007 [47] | Germany | Headache (TTH) | 38.44 (11.77) | 6 / 3 | Sham acupuncture | 200 | SF-12 | TTH days |
Acupuncture | 209 | ||||||||
3 | Jena 2008 [48] | Germany | Headache (headache) | 43.66 (12.69) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 1613 | SF-36 | Headache days |
Acupuncture | 1569 | ||||||||
4 | Linde 2005 [44] | Germany | Headache (migraine) | 42.55 (11.35) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 76 | SF-36 | Days of moderate to severe pain |
Sham acupuncture | 81 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 145 | ||||||||
5 | Melchart 2005 [45] | Germany | Headache (TTH) | 42.68 (13.18) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 75 | SF-36 | Headache days |
Sham acupuncture | 62 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 132 | ||||||||
6 | Vickers 2004 [43] | UK | Headache (headache) | 46.34 (10.39) | 12 / 3 | Usual care | 161 | SF-36 | Severity score |
Acupuncture | 140 | ||||||||
7 | Brinkhaus 2006 [55] | Germany | Musculoske-letal (low back) | 58.81 (9.13) | 12 / 2 | Usual care | 79 | SF-36 | VAS pain score |
Sham acupuncture | 73 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 146 | ||||||||
8 | Carlsson 2001 [50] | Sweden | Musculoske-letal (low back) | 49.84 (15.4) | 6 / 3 | Sham acupuncture | 16 | VAS pain | VAS pain score |
Acupuncture | 34 | ||||||||
9 | Guerra 2004 [53] | Spain | Musculoske-letal (shoulder) | 59.19 (11.37) | 6 / 3 | Sham acupuncture | 65 | VAS pain | VAS pain score |
Acupuncture | 65 | ||||||||
10 | Haake 2007 [61] | Germany | Musculoske-letal (low back) | 50.15 (14.68) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 388 | SF-12 | Von Korff pain intensity score |
Sham acupuncture | 387 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 387 | ||||||||
11 | Irnich 2001 [51] | Germany | Musculoske-letal (neck) | NA | 3 / 3 | Sham acupuncture | 61 | VAS pain | VAS pain score |
Acupuncture | 56 | ||||||||
12 | Kennedy 2008 [62] | Northern Ireland | Musculoske-letal (low back) | 45.58 (11.1) | 3 / 3 | Sham acupuncture | 24 | VAS pain | Roland Morris disability score |
Acupuncture | 24 | ||||||||
13 | Kerr 2003 [52] | Northern Ireland | Musculoske-letal (low back) | NA | 6 / 1 | Sham acupuncture | 20 | VAS pain | VAS pain score |
Acupuncture | 26 | ||||||||
14 | Kleinhenz 1999 [49] | Germany | Musculoske-letal (shoulder) | NA | 3 / 1 | Sham acupuncture | 27 | CMS and predicted VAS pain | CMS |
Acupuncture | 25 | ||||||||
15 | Salter 2006 [56] | UK | Musculoske-letal (neck) | 47.71 (16.51) | 3 / 3 | Usual care | 14 | no mapping – EQ-5D available | Northwick Park pain score |
Acupuncture | 10 | ||||||||
16 | Thomas 2006 [58] | UK | Musculoske-letal (neck) | 42.62 (10.71) | 24 / 3 | Usual care | 80 | no mapping – EQ-5D available | SF-36 bodily pain score |
Acupuncture | 159 | ||||||||
17 | Vas 2006 [57] | Spain | Musculoske-letal (neck) | 46.73 (13.2) | 6 / 1 | Sham acupuncture | 62 | SF-36 | VAS pain score |
Acupuncture | 61 | ||||||||
18 | Vas 2008 [63] | Spain | Musculoske-letal (shoulder) | 55.68 (11.37) | 12 / 3 | Sham acupuncture | 220 | VAS pain | CMS |
Acupuncture | 205 | ||||||||
19 | White 2004 [54] | UK | Musculoske-letal (neck) | 53.36 (15.61) | 12 / 3 | Sham acupuncture | 65 | VAS pain | VAS pain score |
Acupuncture | 70 | ||||||||
20 | Witt 2006 [59] | Germany | Musculoske-letal (neck) | 50.57 (12.93) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 1698 | SF-36 | Neck pain and disability score |
Acupuncture | 1753 | ||||||||
21 | Witt 2006 [60] | Germany | Musculoske-letal (low back) | 52.83 (13.33) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 1390 | SF-36 | Hanover functional ability score |
Acupuncture | 1451 | ||||||||
22 | Foster 2007 [41] | UK | Osteoarthritis of the knee | 63.23 (8.81) | 12 / 1 | Usual care | 116 | VAS pain | WOMAC pain score |
Sham acupuncture | 119 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 117 | ||||||||
23 | Berman 2004 [36] | USA | Osteoarthritis of the knee | 65.46 (8.62) | 6 / 2 | Usual care | 189 | no mapping – EQ-5D available | WOMAC pain score |
Sham acupuncture | 191 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 190 | ||||||||
24 | Scharf 2006 [39] | Germany | Osteoarthritis of the knee | 62.81 (10.07) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 316 | SF-12 | WOMAC total score |
Sham acupuncture | 365 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 326 | ||||||||
25 | Vas 2004 [37] | Spain | Osteoarthritis of the knee | 67.04 (10.09) | 3 / 3 | Sham acupuncture | 49 | WOMAC total | WOMAC total score |
Acupuncture | 48 | ||||||||
26 | Williamson 2007 [42] | UK | Osteoarthritis of the knee | 70.67 (8.94) | 3 / 3 | Usual care | 61 | WOMAC total | Oxford knee score |
Acupuncture | 60 | ||||||||
27 | Witt 2005 [38] | Germany | Osteoarthritis of the knee | 64.01 (6.49) | 12 / 2 | Usual care | 70 | SF-36 | WOMAC total score |
Sham acupuncture | 75 | ||||||||
Acupuncture | 149 | ||||||||
28 | Witt 2006 [40] | Germany | Osteoarthritis of the knee | 61.2 (10.39) | 6 / 3 | Usual care | 310 | SF-36 | WOMAC total score |
Acupuncture | 322 |