Wrist-ankle acupuncture for the treatment of pain symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Zhu LB, Chan WC, Lo KC, Yum TP, Li L.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014 July 14, Epub 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4123534/

Wrist-ankle acupuncture can effectively relieve pain, according to a recent meta-analysis.

Study authors, Zhu et al. (2014), performed a meta-analysis on seven studies of wrist-ankle acupuncture with 723 participants. Results were published online in July 2014 inEvidence-Based Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. 

Wrist-ankle acupuncture uses needle positions located on the wrists and ankles to treat pain throughout the body.  Results showed that wrist-ankle acupuncture had a superior efficacy rate than Western medicine, sham acupuncture, or body acupuncture. Wrist-ankle acupuncture also relieved pain more effectively than Western medicine and sham acupuncture. Moreover, the technique caused few adverse events.
 
The authors write, “Results from this meta-analysis provide evidence that [wrist-ankle acupuncture] helps patients relieve pain and is a quite safe therapy. Besides, wrist-ankle acupuncture is a cheap and convenient treatment. Doubtless, it is good for the substantial number of people suffering from pain. Also, wrist-ankle acupuncture deserves [health policy makers’ attention] and it is worthy of clinical promotion.”
 
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