In a recent multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial, acupuncture showed better improvement in the weekly Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7) when compared to sham acupuncture and waitlist control. Hui Zheng et al. conducted this study to explore whether acupuncture is beneficial for  urticaria management.

The research involved 330 individuals diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria, who were randomly divided into three groups (acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and waitlist control) in a 1:1:1 ratio. The study spanned 8 weeks, with 4 weeks dedicated to treatment and 4 weeks for follow-up. The main focus was on the average change in the UAS7 from the baseline at the end of the fourth week. Secondary outcomes encompassed scores for itch severity, self-assessed improvement, and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).

The mean alteration in UAS7 scores (ranging from 0 to 42) following acupuncture treatment, starting from the baseline mean score of 23.5 and concluding at week 4 with a mean score of 15.3, was -8.2. In contrast, the mean alterations in UAS7 scores for sham acupuncture and the waitlist control groups, starting from baseline mean scores of 21.9 and 22.1, respectively, and concluding at week 4 with mean scores of 17.8 and 20.0, respectively, were -4.1 and -2.2.

The mean differences between acupuncture and the waitlist control, as well as acupuncture and sham acupuncture, were -6.1 and -4.1, respectively. Nevertheless, these variances did not fulfill the benchmark for a minimal significant alteration. Notably, 13.6% of participants in the acupuncture group reported adverse events, while none in the other groups did. These adverse events were characterized as transient or mild.

Acupuncture appeared to have provided a more significant improvement in UAS7 for urticaria when compared to sham acupuncture and waitlist control, although the clinical significance of these findings remained uncertain.