title: Randomised clinical trial: an assessment of acupuncture on specific meridian or specific acupoint vs. sham acupuncture for treating functional dyspepsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common disease without an established optimal treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine (i) the effect of acupuncture in relieving FD symptoms and improving life quality; (ii) the effect difference between acupoint and non-acupoint; and (iii) the effect difference among different acupoints.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 712 eligible patients were included and randomly assigned to six groups (Group A: specific acupoints of the stomach meridian; Group B: non-specific acupoints of the stomach meridian; Group C: specific acupoints of alarm and transport points; Group D: specific acupoints of the gallbladder meridian; Group E: sham acupuncture of non-acupoints; and Group F: itopride). A treatment period of 4 weeks (continuous five sessions per week), and a follow-up period of 12 weeks were arranged. The outcomes were the (i) patients' response, (ii) symptoms improvement measured using the Symptom Index of Dyspepsia and (iii) quality-of-life improvement based on Nepean Dyspepsia Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All groups had an improvement in dyspepsia symptoms and the QoL at the end of treatment, and the improvement was sustained for 4 weeks and 12 weeks. The overall response rate was significantly higher in acupuncture group A (70.69%), and lower in sham acupuncture group (34.75%), compared with itopride and other acupuncture groups. Similarly, the difference in symptoms and QoL improvement was significant between group A and the other acupuncture groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture is effective in the treatment of functional dyspepsia, and is superior to non-acupoint puncture. The benefit of acupuncture relies on acupoint specificity.
authors.affiliation: Teaching Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: X P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: X R
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016740:Meridians; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult