title: A randomized treatment-placebo study of the effectiveness of acupuncture for benign vocal pathologies.
abstract: Acupuncture is a widely accepted treatment option for many medical ailments in China. Some reports claim that acupuncture is effective for treating dysphonia associated with benign pathological tissue changes. However, many of these reports are based on anecdotal evidence that lacks a scientific experimental design. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of intensive acupuncture therapy for dysphonias associated with benign pathological changes with a randomized, control design. Twenty-four subjects aged between 19 and 51 years were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a placebo group. The experimental group received acupuncture on acupoints Renyin (Stomach Channel 9), Lieque (Lung Channel 7), and Zhaohai (Kidney Channel 6), which are all related to improving throat problems and vocal function, whereas the placebo group received acupuncture on acupoints Houxi (Small Intestine Channel 3) and Kunlun (Bladder Channel 60), which are not related to voicing. All subjects received 10 intensive acupuncture sessions within a 20-day period. Acoustic analysis of voice range profile, perceptual analysis of voice quality, and self-perceptions of quality-of-life (QOL) measurement by patients were the outcome measures for determining treatment efficacy. Results revealed significant improvement in the treatment group in all three aspects when compared with the placebo group. The acupuncture effect was maintained into the second week after the completion of acupuncture treatment.
authors.affiliation: Voice Research Laboratory, Division of Speech & Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. eyiu@hku.hk
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yiu
authors.forename: Jie Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murry
authors.forename: William I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Estella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yee-Lan Elaine
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Kwong
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000628:therapy*