Table 1 Acupuncture method
| Â | Acupuncture treatment | Sham acupuncture treatment |
|---|---|---|
Acupoints | DU20, GV24, GV29, EX-HN1, EX-HN22 (bilateral), HT7 (bilateral), SP6 (bilateral), LI4 (bilateral), LR3 (bilateral) | DU20, GV24, GV29, EX-HN1, EX-HN22 (bilateral), HT7 (bilateral), SP6 (bilateral), LI4 (bilateral), LR3 (bilateral) |
Depth of needle insertion | DU20, GV24, GV29, EX-HN1, EX-HN22, HT7: 0.5 body-inches SP6: 1–1.5 body-inches LR3, LI4: 0.5–1 body-inches | No needle insertion |
Response sought | De-Qi sensation | Without De-Qi sensation |
Needle stimulation | Manual stimulation: lifting-thrusting manipulation or rotating manipulation will be applied to achieve a De-Qi sensation | No needle stimulation |
Needle-retention time | Thirty min | Thirty min |
Needle type | Stainless steel (0.30 × 25 mm or 0.30 × 4 0 mm; Wuxi Jiajian Medical instruments Co., Ltd., China) | Blunt stainless steel (0.30 × 25 mm or 0.30 × 40 mm; Wuxi Jiajian Medical instruments Co., Ltd., China) |
Number of treatment sessions | Twenty treatment sessions in total | Twenty treatment sessions in total |
Frequency and duration of treatment sessions | Twice per week for 8 weeks and followed by once a week for 4 weeks | Twice per week for 8 weeks and followed by once a week for 4 weeks |
Other components of treatment | YSG or placebo herbal medicine | YSG or placebo herbal medicine |