Authors

No

Intervention group

Control/sham group

Outcome Measures

Results

Justification for point selection

PEDro score

So, et al. [8]

17

ST-36, UB-57, GB-34, SP-6

15 minutes TENS

1 session per week over 3 weeks

Psudo-TENS applied to sham points

EMG Peak torque muscle force recovery of the knee extensors.

SD for muscle force recovery Peak torque

The four acupuncture points was selected based on their therapeutic effect on recovery from general weakness and enhancement on lower limb neuromuscular function.

3/10

Hubscher, et al. [6]

36

MA to ST-36, SP-6, CV-6 and auricular Shenmen.

One 15 minutes session. Assessment immediately following treatment.

Crossover design

SA needling at least 1 cm from classical acupuncture point.

Placebo laser-acupuncture.

EMG Maximum isometric voluntary force. Isometric muscular endurance.

SD between acupuncture and placebo laser.

No SD for jump height or muscle endurance.

No justification given for choice of points.

8/10

Huang, et al. [7]

30

EA (40 Hz) to ST-36 and ST-39.

15 minutes session.

3 sessions per week

Control (no treatment).

Maximum strength in ankle dorsiflexion.

SD in the increase in strength of both legs in EA groups.

Points ST-36 and ST-39 were chosen because they have been shown to have an effect on retarding muscle impairment, hemiplegia, and paralysis of the lower extremities.

7/10

Hubscher, et al. [9]

22

MA to GB-34, Lu-3, Lu-5, LI-11, SP-10 and Ah-Shi points.

Treatment applied 24 and 48 hours after DOMS for 15 minutes.

SA Superficial needling at non-acupoints.

Control group (No treatment).

Maximal isometric voluntary force.

No SD. The mean maximal isometric voluntary force was not SD between groups

Acupoints was chosen based on the positive findings of a previous study by Lin and Yang (1999) in terms of their effect on decreasing muscle tenderness.

7/10

Fragoso & Ferreira, et al. [16]

47

MA LI-11.

One 20-minute session.

Assessment immediately following treatment.

PC-2

EMG

Maximal isometric voluntary contraction.

No SD between groups.

Previous study used PC-2 and LI-11 for stroke related disorders.

8/10

Tough, et al. [20]

35

MA LI-4, LI-10.

One 20-minute session.

Crossover trial.

Control group (no treatment).

Control (MA to PC-3 and PC-6).

EMG activity in wrist extensor muscle strength.

No SD between groups.

Points chosen based on their relationship to motor points.

5/10

Costa & Araujo, et al. [15]

30

MA ST-36.

One 20-minute session.

Control group (SP-9).

EMG activity of the anterior tibialis muscle.

No SD between groups.

ST-36 was chosen because it is in the tibialis muscle and SP-9 is reported to be effective in treating the muscular system.

6/10

Damasceno, et al. [17]

53 started 26 completed

Tonification points.

R-3, BP-3, BP-6, VB-34, F-8, E-36, TA-6.

24 treatments over 3 weeks.

Control (no treatment).

Hand grip strength

No SD between groups

No justification given for choice of points.

6/10

de Souza, et al. [18]

38

Local group SI-14.

Distal group SI-8.

One 20-minute session.

Control group Ki-3.

Control group (no treatment).

EMG

SD in both intervention groups compared to control groups.

Point chosen based on their location within the muscles of the shoulder.

7/10

Jang, et al. [23]

20

MA ST-36, SP-6, CV-6, Shenmen.

One 15-minute session.

Crossover trial. Assessment immediately following treatment.

SA needling into the skin 2.5 cm from the true acupuncture points. Control group received skin stimulation with a Park sham placebo device.

Maximum voluntary isometric contraction.

EMG activity of the rectus femoris and tibialis anterior muscles

SD between groups.

The real acupuncture group had higher EMG activity in both rectus femoris and tibialis anterior muscles.

No justification given for choice of points

7/10

Silverio-Lopes, et al. [19]

73

MA TE-5, ST-36, GB-34.

 One 20-minute session.

Assessment immediately following treatment.

SA group received superficial needling at non acupoints.

Hand grip strength in Kgf.

SD between groups. True acupuncture significantly increased hand grip strength by 4.78 kgf. There was no significant increase in strength in the sham or control groups.

ST-36 is considered most effective for muscle strength, GB-34 most effective for tendon strength and TE-5 suggested to increase “Yang energy”.

7/10

Yan, et al. [3]

62

TENS ST-36, Liv-3, GB-34, UB-60 and standard care.

60-minute session. 5 days per week for 3 weeks.

Placebo stimulation and standard care.

Control received standard care only.

Plantarflexor spasticity, ankle muscle strength, and functional mobility.

SD between group. TENS showed a significant increase in ankle dorsiflexion strength. However, there was a reduced EMG activity.

No justification given for choice of points.

9/10

Payton, et al. [1]

20

MA or EA ST-36, SP-6, ST-39.

25-minute 3 time per week for 6 weeks.

Control group received no treatment.

Maximum voluntary contraction

of the ankle plantarflexors

SD in the increase in muscle strength for both MA and EA.

Point selection base on previous studies that demonstrates the effect of selected point on enhancing muscle strength.

7/10

Huang, et al. [13]

50

MA or EA (40 Hz) to ST-36 and ST-39.

15-30-minute 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks.

EA and MA at non acupoints in the tibialis anterior muscle.

Control group (no treatment).

Maximum voluntary contraction

of the ankle dorsiflexors

SD between intervention and control groups.

No change in strength gain in control group.

No SD in strength gain in the acupuncture and non-acupuncture group

Points ST-36 and ST-39 were chosen because they have been shown to have an effect on retarding muscle impairment, hemiplegia, and paralysis of the lower extremities.

7/10

Micalos, et al. [24]

25

MA to Liv-3, LI-4, Gov-20.

One 20-minute session.   Assessment immediately following treatment.

Control group rested for 20 minutes (no treatment).

Peak isometric muscle torque of the knee extensors.

SD between group. Acupuncture group showed a 1.6% increase.The control showed a 6.4% decrease in repeat performance.

No justification given for choice of points.

6/10

Zanin, et al. [14]

52

MA HT-3 local group.

MA to HT-4 distal group.

20-minute session.  Assessment 10- and 20-minutes following treatment.

UB-60 control group.

Control group (received no treatment).

EMG.

Maximal isometric wrist flexion contraction (Kgf).

No SD in maximal isometric wrist flexion contraction (Kgf) between groups.

The Heart meridian points were chosen because of their anatomical location to the wrist flexor muscles. UB-60 was chosen because it has no anatomical location with the wrist flexors.

7/10

Zhou, et al. [5]

43

MA or EA (40 Hz) to ST-36 and ST-39.

15-30-minute 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks.

 EA on 2 non acupoints in the tibialis anterior muscle,

Control (no treatment).

Maximal isometric contraction in ankle dorsiflexion.

No SD in control group.

Significant muscle strength gain in all intervention group but no SD between intervention groups.

No justification given for choice of points. However, these authors have published an earlier paper using these points.

7/10

Mucha, et al. [21]

32

EA (8 Hz) ST-36

One 2-minute session.   Assessment immediately following treatment.

Crossover trial.

EA (8 Hz) UB-60.

One 2-minute session.   Assessment following treatment

Explosive strength consisting of squat jumps to determine increase in hight.

SD in the increased jump hight in favour of the ST-36 acupuncture group.

ST-36 was chosen because of its known therapeutic effect on muscle strength. UB-60 was chosen because the author believes that its properties would have no effect on muscle strength.

4/10

Zhou, et al. [22]

32

MA to LI-11, LI-10, LI-4, SI-8, SJ-10, SJ-5.

One 20-minute session.   Assessment immediately following treatment.

SA to non-acupuncture points with superficial needling.

Isokinetic maximum muscle strength of the forearm/elbow flexors.

Significant increase in muscle strength in the true acupuncture group.

No SD in strength in the SA group.

Classical acupuncture points selected based on the location to stimulate the nerves in the muscles under investigation.

5/10

Wang, et al. [25]

20

MA to ST-32, ST-34, ST-36, SP-10, UB-57.

One 20-minute session.   Assessment immediately following treatment.

 SA consisted of blunt tip acupuncture needles.

Isokinetic maximum torque, average power, and peak power of the knee extensors and flexors. 

Significant increase in maximum torque, average power, and peak power of the knee extensors in the MA group.

No SD in the SA group.

ST-36 for improvement in speed and muscle strength and its location in the tibialis anterior. ST-32 and ST-34 because of their location in the rectus femoris muscle, SP-10 on the medial femoris and UB-57 on the gastrocnemius muscle.

5/10