"Acupuncture is commonly believed to be effective for the treatment of chronic pain, despite growing evidence from systematic reviews that it is not." Bandolier (October 2000)

Concludes that there is limited evidence that acupuncture is more effective than no treatment for chronic pain; and inconclusive evidence that acupuncture is more effective than placebo,sham acupuncture or standard care. Pain (June 2000)

Concludes that there is no convincing evidence for the analgesic efficacy of acupuncture for back or neck pain. Pain (May 2000)

Concludes that acupuncture has not been demonstrated to be efficacious as a treatment for tinnitus on the evidence of rigorous randomized controlled trials. Archives of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery (April 2000)

Concludes that there was no significant difference in the rates of smoking cessation in the treatment and control groups. American Journal of Chinese Medicine (2000)

Concludes that acupuncture was not superior to sham acupuncture for smoking cessation; no particular aspect of acupuncture technique was associated with a positive effect. TC Online (Winter 1999)

Concludes that perioperative acupressure and acupuncture did not diminish emesis in children following tonsillectomy. Anesthesiology (May 1999)

Concludes that the hypothesis that acupuncture is efficacious in the treatment of neck pain is not based on the available evidence from sound clinical trials. Rheumatology (Oxford) (February 1999)

OTHER PAPERS:

No statistically significant differences were found between the acupuncture group and the placebo group. English abstract of a Danish article (January 1999)

"The data presently in the literature do not provide sufficient support for a useful role for acupuncture in asthma management." Allergol Immunopathology (Nov-Dec 1998)

No statistically significant differences were found between the acupuncture group and the placebo group. British Journal of Audiology (June 1998)

Concludes "Studies using EPM (energetic placebo model) as placebo failed more frequently to show any differences between real acupuncture and placebo treatment than those using MPM (metameric placebo model) as placebo. On the other hand, sham acupuncture appears almost as active as 'real' acupuncture". Sanchez Aranjo M., Forsch Komplementarmed. (1998)

Department of Dermatology, Linkoping University, Sweden (March 1997)

Concludes that acupuncture as a therapy for addictions to cigarette smoking, heroin and alcohol is not supported by results from sound clinical research. British Journal of General Practice (September 1990)

"The efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic pain remains doubtful." Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (1990)

"Whilst the small population studied limits the conclusions that may be drawn, these findings suggest that acupuncture may have no greater effect than that of a powerful placebo." British Journal of Rheumatology (August 1986)

CONCLUSION: Currently available literature does not provide sufficient evidence that adjuvant acupuncture improves IVF clinical pregnancy rate. El-Toukhy T Sunkara SK Khairy M Dyer R Khalaf Y Coomarasamy A. BJOG. 2008 Sep;115(10):1203-13