The therapy of acupuncture has a long history. Numerous efforts have been undertaken to conduct controlled clinical trials of acupuncture, including the use of "sham" acupuncture or "placebo" acupuncture controls. This document is a brief review of literature on acupuncture practice.

The therapy of acupuncture has a long history. In its 2500 years of development, a wealth of experience has been accumulated, attesting to the wide range of diseases and conditions that can effectively be treated with its approach. Since the 1980s, there have been extensive studies on acupuncture and great efforts have been undertaken to conduct controlled clinical trials, including the use of "sham" acupuncture or "placebo" acupuncture controls. This document is a brief review of literature on acupuncture practice, which may provide information about the effectiveness of different aspects of acupuncture therapy. In order to promote the appropriate use of acupuncture in those member states where acupuncture has not been widely used, this document is annexed with a brief abstract of each relevant reference for the assessment of acupuncture practice. The clinical conditions covered in the existing data are also included.