title: Is Acupuncture Efficacious for Treating Phonotraumatic Vocal Pathologies? A Randomized Control Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 123 dysphonic individuals with benign vocal pathologies were recruited. They were given either genuine acupuncture (n = 40), sham acupuncture (n = 44), or no treatment (n = 39) for 6 weeks (two 30-minute sessions/wk). The genuine acupuncture group received needles puncturing nine voice-related acupoints for 30 minutes, two times a week for 6 weeks, whereas the sham acupuncture group received blunted needles stimulating the skin surface of the nine acupoints for the same frequency and duration. The no-treatment group did not receive any intervention but attended just the assessment sessions. One-hundred seventeen subjects completed the study (genuine acupuncture = 40; sham acupuncture = 43; and no treatment = 34), but only 84 of them had a complete set of vocal functions and quality of life measures (genuine acupuncture = 29; sham acupuncture = 33; and no-treatment = 22) and 42 of them with a complete set of endoscopic data (genuine acupuncture = 16; sham acupuncture = 15; and no treatment = 11).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvement in vocal function, as indicated by the maximum fundamental frequency produced, and also perceived quality of life, were found in both the genuine and sham acupuncture groups, but not in the no-treatment group. Structural (morphological) improvements were, however, only noticed in the genuine acupuncture group, which demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the vocal fold lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed that acupuncture of voice-related acupoints could bring about improvement in vocal function and healing of vocal fold lesions.
authors: Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: eyiu@hku.hk.
authors: Edwin M L
authors: EM
authors: Yiu
authors: Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Karen M K
authors: KM
authors: Chan
authors: Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Elaine
authors: E
authors: Kwong
authors: School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: Nicole Y K
authors: NY
authors: Li
authors: Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Estella P M
authors: EP
authors: Ma
authors: Fred TSE's CM Clinic, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Fred W
authors: FW
authors: Tse
authors: School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Zhixiu
authors: Z
authors: Lin
authors: Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Verdolini Abbott
authors: Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Raymond
authors: R
authors: Tsang
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D049489:Stroboscopy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014741:Video Recording; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014833:Voice Quality; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alternative treatment; Dysphonia; Therapy efficacy