The effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in the management of chronic urticaria was assessed through randomized controlled trials (RCT’s) of acupuncture treatment of chronic urticaria. The retrieved RCT papers were contributed into EndNote X8 document management software for screening the qualified documents, which was followed by assessing the quality of the screened papers. The data extraction table was designed successfully and the information and data required for the research were precisely extracted.

A total of 1 095 articles were retrieved, and 16 RCTs were included. The meta-analysis revealed that the total therapeutic efficacy was OR＝3.85, 95% CI [2.61, 5.69], P<0.000 01. The diamonds for comparison between the acupuncture and control i.e. medication groups in the "Feng Tuan"(urticaria) number, itching, onset duration, degree of swelling and scratch test scores were on the right side of the invalid line of forest maps. The relapse rate was lower in the acupuncture group than in the control group (OR＝0.28, 95% CI being [0.14, 0.55], P＝0.000 3).

It was concluded that acupuncture treatment is significantly better than antihistamine administration alone in the treatment of chronic urticaria. It also showed lower recurrence rate. More clinical studies with rigorous design and large sample sizes are required for reliable evidence.

Source: Zhao JQ, Ma TM. [A Meta-analysis of acupuncture therapy for chronic urticaria]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2020 Jan 25; 45(1):66-73.